Centre for Research on Masculinities, Faith and Domestic Violence

The Centre for Research on Masculinities, Faith and Domestic Violence advances interdisciplinary research and practice focused on the complex intersections of gender socialisation, relationships, faith and domestic violence. Based within the Institute of Domestic Violence, Religion & Migration, the Centre examines how religious beliefs, teachings, institutions, and spiritual practices shape masculinities, intimate relationships, and men’s attitudes towards marriage, family life, and violence in diverse cultural and migration contexts.

The Centre is grounded in the recognition that religious rationalisations can function as both a risk factor and a protective resource in relation to domestic violence. Religious norms may reinforce rigid, patriarchal, or harmful masculine ideals, but they may also provide ethical frameworks, role models, and spiritual resources that promote care, accountability, emotional regulation, and non-violent relationships. By engaging men and faith leaders as critical actors in prevention and change, the Centre seeks to move beyond victim-only or punitive frameworks and contribute to more comprehensive and sustainable domestic violence responses.

Building on prior research conducted in contexts such as Ethiopia, Zambia and the UK, the Centre places particular emphasis on men and boys as an underrepresented demographic in domestic violence and gender-based violence (GBV) research and programming. Its work aims to deepen understanding of faith-informed masculinities while developing culturally grounded, faith-sensitive interventions that support healthier relational practices and reduce the perpetration and perpetuation of violence.

As a Centre, we are especially interested in:

• Examining the dual role of religion as both a risk and protective factor in domestic violence experiences, and how this ambivalence varies across individuals, denominations, and cultural and migration contexts.
• Exploring the potential of religious role models, narratives, and ethical teachings to foster positive, non-violent masculinities and resilience against rigid, patriarchal, or harmful gender normative systems.
• Investigating the role of spirituality and religious mediation in men’s development of emotional competence, accountability, and healthy, equitable intimate relationships.
• Analysing the use of pornography and related sexual norms, including their implications for male attitudes towards women, relational expectations, and abusive behaviours within intimate partnerships, including marriage.
• Designing and evaluating prevention-oriented interventions that engage men, faith leaders, and community institutions in transforming harmful gender norms and supporting violence-free family life.

Centre Leads and Members