Gendered Hierarchies of Violence: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Female-Perpetrated Domestic Abuse in UK Newspapers

By Mia Hatch,

University of Surrey.

This dissertation investigates the construction of gendered narratives in UK newspaper coverage of female-perpetrated domestic abuse (DA). Even though existing research and campaigning has extensively explored DA, there remains to be an insufficient focus on the portrayal of female perpetrators and male victims in news media. This raises important questions around how evolving dynamics of DA is going to be understood, if reporting still operates under outdated gendered frameworks. To fill this gap, this study analyses how narratives of perpetration and victimhood are constructed in tabloid and broadsheet coverage of the case involving Jordan Worth (Worth), a female who was convicted of coercive control and violence against her boyfriend, Alex Skeel (Skeel). Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) informed by Fairclough (1989), 41 news articles from UK tabloids (Daily Mail, The Sun, The Mirror) and broadsheets (The Independent, The Times, The Telegraph), are analysed, focusing on linguistic strategies, discursive patterns and wider social practices.

The findings indicate how Worth is constructed through gendered narratives of the evil female, dual identity framing and exceptionalism. In contrast, Skeel’s victimhood is partially legitimised through narratives of extreme suffering and institutional validation. This makes certain experiences seem more recognisable than others. While the case seems to fundamentally challenge dominant DA stereotypes, this disruption is limited by tabloids and broadsheets operating under the same underlying gendered frameworks. In summary, female perpetration is individualised and presented as unique, whereas male victimhood is conditionally recognised. Overall, these findings are significant in demonstrating how news discourse has the ability to alter public recognition of DA perpetrators and victims, creating hierarchies and hindering more inclusive understandings of alternative dynamics.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21515794

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