The context and dynamics of intimate aggression against women

This article presents a series of working observations on the context and d ynamics of intimate aggression perpetrated against women. These reflections flow from our research, and are woven together with the work of scholars f rom diverse fields, from feminism to marital communication to social constr uctivism. Our reflections emphasize that intimate aggression is sustained n ot only by powerful dynamics of dominance and control, but also by the very ways in which we view, experience, and talk about relationships and aggres sion.