The term domestic violence has been routinely used to describe a pattern of abuse within adult intimate relationships, which is typically perpetrated by men against women, with at its core the maintenance of male power and control over women. The debate as to gender symmetry in intimate partner abuse has been greatly informed by the work of Johnson, who proposed that in fact there may be more than one type of intimate partner violence, one which is referred to as 'common couple violence'. The level of alcohol dependence appears higher within domestic violence perpetrators and the level of mental health difficulties reported also seems higher. The assaults tend to take place within the context of jealousy, separation and childcare issues. Interventions in domestic violence have been greatly informed by the 'Duluth' model of intervention, although wider cognitive behavioural perspectives are also employed.