Male peer support and woman abuse: An expansion of Dekeseredy's model

Abstract

Although all‐male friendship networks may have an important effect in motivating some men to physically, sexually, and psychologically harm female intimates, particularly in dating relationships, the study of the dynamics of these groups is still limited. DeKeseredy's early model has some of the best explanatory value, but it fails to address a number of factors, including macrolevel forces, the role of alcohol abuse, membership in formal social groups such as fraternities, and the absence of deterrent factors on many campuses. This paper attempts to build a stronger theoretical model by adding these factors to DeKeseredy's base. Further, it argues that an important next step, in addition to strong multivari‐ate analysis, is ethnographic study to look at the work of men's peer groups in promoting a discourse and dramaturgy of everyday student life that legitimates the use of various forms of violence against women.