Germaine Greer quashed the claim that "extreme jealousy" was the overriding cause of domestic violence, telling ABC's Q&A misogyny was the root cause of violence perpetrated against women.

The renowned feminist locked horns with fellow panellist Theodore Dalrymple, a British writer and former psychiatrist, after an audience question suggested women should bear some responsibility for their violent partners.

"With all the opportunities that are afforded young women of today, why are they still making poor relationship choices and having children in abusive relationships? Should women be held more accountable for their choices? And should we be targeting anti-domestic violence campaigns more towards women than men?" the questioner asked.

"Unfortunately it's a very complex one... but in my view the main driver of domestic violence that I saw was actually jealousy. That was the most powerful factor before there was violence," said Dalrymple, having examined 400 women who had experienced domestic violence during his research career.

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The scholar in residence at the Centre for Independent Studies said sexual jealousy increased with the breakdown of traditional gender roles.

"I think the fundamental problem that I saw… was extreme jealousy," he said.

Greer was "stunned" by his explanation, responding: "I probably would have thought that actually what drives it is misogyny, is actual dislike of women and not respecting them.

"The major reason given by the Royal Commission [into Family Violence] in Victoria as I understand it was gender inequality, which struck me as a sort of category mistake.

"You were putting the phenomenon as the cause of the phenomenon.

"It's not gender inequality that makes a man belt a woman. It's actually evidence itself of gender inequality."

Greer and Dalrymple fleetingly appeared to find common ground when it came to whether women bore some responsibility for the violence done to them.

"I think it is necessary for them to do so," Dalrymple said.

Referring to the Bronte novels, Greer said: "It seems to me that there is another story here about women… they're always on the lookout for Mr Wrong. For the guy who was exciting, who's taciturn, who's difficult, and potentially violent," she said.

"And they always think that they can save him," she said.

"You're agreeing with me in effect," Dalrymple said.

But she qualified her answer, suggesting women couldn't choose their ideal man from a line-up, especially when the "asinine" practice of falling in love muddied logic.