Young women (16-24) is a group more exposed to intimate partner violence than older women are. Yet, relatively little is known about young men’s use of intimate partner violence. Instead, the violences of young men tend to be addressed in terms of street crime, youth violence and the like, often to the neglect of partner violence. In this paper, we present preliminary findings from an ongoing study with young men’s r physical and sexual violence to women partners in Sweden. We have conducted qualitative interviews with young men (ages 16 to 25) who have committed acts of physical or sexual violence towards an intimate partner. Drawing on ‘the affective turn’ in contemporary feminist theory, we are interested in the work of affect at the scene of violence as well as its aftermath. What is the role of affect in violent encounters? And what is its role in social network responses to violence? How can a focus on affect help us rethink issues about young men, masculinity and intimate partner violence? To this end, we focus specifically on the transmission of affect and on how atmospheres are produced and experienced. Drawing on the work of Teresa Brennan, we are interested in how affect circulates between bodies, rather than being something simply deposited within a subject. With the notion of atmospheres, we want to broaden Brennan’s notion of transmission by highlighting the role of materiality and non-human actors in producing certain atmospheres. We argue that a focus on affect contributes to novel ways of theorizing young men, masculinity, and intimate partner violence.

Lucas Gottzén is professor in Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University. Drawing mainly on poststructuralist theories and employing ethnographic field methodologies, he has explored gendered and generational aspects of parenting and family life; affect, embodied action and identity making of children, youth and violent men.

Kalle Berggren is a post-doctoral researcher in Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University. His research has addressed intersectional power relations in Swedish hip hop, as well as the use of feminist theory within masculinity research. Berggren’s current research explores young men and intimate partner violence.

Kalle Berggren, PhD, Department of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University; kalle.berggren@buv.su.se