“The Strongest Women”: Exploration of the Inner Resources of Abused Women

Abstract

Domestic violence is reaching epidemic proportions and is designated a national health crisis in the United States. Yet, the stories of abused women and their experiences are only just recently appearing in the literature. The use of coping strategies in dealing with abusive intimate partners is one such area that invites further research. Using the phenomenological method, 17 volunteers discuss their inner resources for surviving abusive experiences and developing ways to protect themselves in future relationships. Women's accounts of abuse experiences add depth to what is known about their strength and portray them as survivors rather than as victims. Future research is calledfor that adds to the understanding of the inner resources attributed to the women in the study findings.

Eşi̇nden Fi̇zi̇ksel Şi̇ddet Görmüş Kadinlarda Ayrilma Karariyla İli̇şki̇li̇ Faktörler

“…Genellikle kadınlar, ayrılmak için çocuklarının büyümesini beklemekte, çocuklar büyüdüğünde ise yaşının artması ve belki de şiddet yaşantısının bitmesiyle birlikte ayrılmaya cesaret edemeyebilmektedir (Pfouts, 1978). Şiddetin çocuklara yansıması ise, kadının ayrılma kararı vermesinde önemli bir belirleyici olabilmektedir (Snyder ve Fructhman, 1981;Davis, 2002;Crawford, Liebling-Kalifani ve Hill, 2009). Özetle kadın, çocuğunun şiddetten etkilenmediği, henüz küçük olduğu, babasına ihtiyacı olduğu gibi düşüncelerle, şiddet gibi bireyin psikolojik ve fiziksel sağlığını olumsuz yönde etkileyen bir olguya katlanarak evliliğine devam edebilmektedir.…”

'He said he loved me. I wanted to be loved': Young women's experiences of coping with violence in intimate relationships.

“…In contrast, other researchers reported women who experience IPV see themselves as powerful and coping actively (Casoni & Campbell, 2004;Cavanagh, 2003;Davis, 2002).…”

“…Using data from interviews with 17 women who experienced IPV, Davis (2002) showed how they saw themselves as survivors, not as victims. These women recognized they used coping strategies, such as using common sense and developing safety plans, to deal with the abuse.…”

“…Women's strength emerges from their hopes for the future (Canaval, Gonzalez, & Sanchez, 2007;Flinck et al, 2005) and identifying survival strategies while in IPV relationships (Cory et al, 2003). Davis' (2002) study of 17 women who experienced IPV showed these women saw themselves as strong survivors, as resilient because they created strategies to endure and survive IPV, and as needing self-love in order to thrive in future relationships. Draucker's (2003) qualitative study echoed women's stories of resilience in narratives from her participants regarding rebellion stories, instances in which they decided not to endure the violence.…”

“…Some researchers and at times study participants have identified women in IPV relationships as sometimes undergoing experiences of victimization (Bennett & O'Brien, 2007;Clements & Sawhney, 2000;Ellsberg et al, 2008;Flinck et al, 2005;Lutenbacher et al, 2003;Pagelow, 1984), self-sacrificing (Arias et al, 1997;Flinck et al, 2005), retaliatory violence (Rampersad, 2008;Sullivan et al, 2005), or empowered survival (Davis, 2002;Lewis, 2003). The findings of the present study support this concept as young women selfsacrificed when they identified themselves as responsible for their partners, suffered when they felt powerless due to the IPV, retaliated when they used aggression in response to emotional rejection, and embraced empowerment when they identified themselves as responsible for their own life and not for the IPV.…”