Diffusion of innovations theory focuses on the role different communication channels play in facilitating individuals’ ‘exposure’ (both ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’) to new ideas and their movement through a ‘innovation-decision process’ (knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, confirmation) . The term ‘diffusion’ in this context (and applied in this paper) includes not only the spreading of new ideas, but the entire process from direct or indirect exposure to adoption. ‘Adoption’ is defined as the uptake of the innovation, ideas or programme by the targeted audience . The theory has been applied in a variety of ways across public health—in particular in HIV prevention  and family planning [25, 26]—and there is empirical support for aspects of the theory in the broader public health literature [20, 27]. It has not—to our knowledge—been applied to partner violence prevention interventions.