This thesis reports the candidate's efforts to investigate the process of change experienced or perceived by partner-violent men, and partners of partner-violent men, after being involved in a programme of intervention. It examines theoretical positions on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and behaviour change, and then describes a systematic literature review which brings together similar previous studies. The thesis includes extensive reviews of previous studies in this area, grouped under the headings: survivor perspectives, perpetrator perspectives, children's perspectives and practitioner perspectives. Building on the findings from these reviews a qualitative study of partner-violence perpetrators, on the Island of Ireland, was designed and completed with the following objectives: o To explore and examine the process by which change comes about, o To inform IPV perpetrator programme development, o To inform the development of a more general practice framework, for work with partner-violent men. The study comprised of one-time interviews, averaging 74 minutes, with 18 survivors of IPV, and 20 partner-violent men. Study participants were drawn from four TPV perpetrator programmes, and four survivor SUppOlt agencies. The separate cohorts of survivors and perpetrators had been involved in the same fPV perpetrator programmes: perpetrators as programme participants, survivors as paltners of programme participants. The study sample included four couple dyads. The study drew on elements of grounded theory, specifically, theoretical sampling, iterative data collection and analysis, and the pursuit of data saturation. Efforts were made to enhance study rigour by including an inter-coder reliability check, and expert validation of interim findings. Based on findings from the literature reviews, and subsequent study, this thesis suggests more productive ways to conceptualise perpetrators based on their motivation, and highlights potential barriers and facilitators of the change process to inform more comprehensive assessment of perpetrators. The process of change is presented in a practice-orientated format, describing a range of valid treatment targets based on study findings, and corresponding mechanism by which these can be pursued. Interruption techniques and enhancements to communication skills would appear to be more achievable goals within current treatment formats, while more in-depth changes in character appear to be out of reach for many perpetrators. The thesis highlights the heterogeneity within this service user grouping, the need to measure and systematically develop a variety of treatment options for partner-violent men, and underlines the safety issues involved.