The strengths, competence, and resilience of women facing domestic violence: How can research and policy support them?

Abstract

Instead of presenting women experiencing violent relationships as "victims" of battering, this chapter reviews their help'Seeking efforts and the obstacles they confront in their efforts to protect themselves and their children. This refraining of how we understand the nature of this problem is essential to a strengths-based approach. The authors discuss obstacles to leaving violent relationships that are embedded, for example, in inadequate resources, police attitudes in responding to domestic violence, and policies that create particular risks for immigrant women. They suggest policies that capitalize on women's strengths as active help seekers and focus on identifying and correcting system-level obstacles to create safe and effective exits for women who experience domestic violence. * * Debate surrounds the nature and scope of violence in families, how to prevent it, and when to intervene. One enduring point of agreement, however, is that violence in families is a multidimensional problem that exacts a tremendous toll on society. Although families can provide warm, wonderful, 97

Resilience in Children, Families, and Communities

“…This suggests that we need to understand more about the diversity in help-seeking efforts of these women and the supports for and obstacles to their success. Recent research has shown that limited choices, financial insecurity, mental or physical health problems, inadequate access to resources (transportation, child care, family support), police attitudes or inaction, and slow criminal justice responses all compound the adversities experienced by women who are assaulted by an intimate partner (Cook, Woolard, & McCollum, 2004). This work suggests that we need to look both at and beyond individuals' and families' capacities for adaptive functioning in contexts of adversity towards the systems and institutional responses that build on or serve to challenge these capacities.…”

“…This work suggests that we need to look both at and beyond individuals' and families' capacities for adaptive functioning in contexts of adversity towards the systems and institutional responses that build on or serve to challenge these capacities. The long-term consequences of women's choices for themselves and their children are also not well understood (Cook et al, 2004;.…”

Domestic Violence Recent Research (2004–2005) Part I: Incidence, Types and Causes

“…Cook et al (2004) quoted that instead of seeing women experiencing violent relationships as victims of battering, the police often consider this an area in which they should not intervene. The police attitude towards domestic violence therefore varies considerably depending on individuals and this creates a particular risk for immigrant women.…”

“…The view has been expressed that the law still lacks the power to protect victims of domestic violence due to the uncertainties of whether the police should or should not intervene in domestic issues. Cook et al (2004) quoted that instead of seeing women experiencing violent relationships as victims of battering, the police often consider this an area in which they should not intervene. The police attitude towards domestic violence therefore varies considerably depending on individuals and this creates a particular risk for immigrant women.…”

Challenging Despair

“…5 In battering relationships, women employ a range of active and creative strategies to resist and escape violence from their intimate partners (J. Campbell, Rose, Kub, & Nedd, 1998;Cook, Woolard, & McCollum, 2004;Gondolf, 1988;Jones, 1994). On the individual level, in other words, there is considerable evidence that many women resist violence, and they do so successfully.…”