Why Do Female Domestic Violence Victims Remain in or Leave Abusive Relationships? A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Domestic violence has severe physical and mental health consequences, yet many women remain in abusive relationships. Domestic violence is generally more prevalent among ethnic minorities than among ethnic majorities. Yet, little is known about reasons to stay and leave within ethnic minority groups. Therefore, we examined reasons for staying in and leaving abusive relationships in an ethnically diverse sample of female domestic violence victims from the United Kingdom. In-depth interviews with 20 intimate partner violence victims (40% identifying as ethnic minority) were analyzed using template thematic analysis. We identified three main themes for why women stayed. The first theme was that of investment, which contained the subthemes of marriage, pregnancy, and keeping the family together. The second theme was that of entrapment, which contained subthemes of economic dependence, physical entrapment/social isolation, learned helplessness/coping mechanisms, and religious/cultural beliefs. The third theme was love (no subthemes). Additionally, we identified three main themes for why women left. The first theme was external support, encompassing subthemes of professional support and informal support. The second main theme was fear of harm, which included the subthemes of fear for negative effects on mental health and fear of physical harm. The third theme was that of protecting the children (no subthemes). Among ethnic minority women, some specific reasons to stay appeared more prevalent (i.e., religious beliefs). Identified themes are diverse and support cost-benefit analyses of domestic violence. Applying cost-benefit analyses in practice may enable victims to leave abusive relationships.

Emotional abuse among married women at Vhembe district: Experiences and consequences

“…The finding of this study concurs with previous studies that women stay with their harmful abusive partners because of affection. Women may remain on account of the adoration they have for their partners (Heron, Eisma & Browne 2022 ; Sichimba, Nakazwe & Phiri 2020 ). Frequently, the pattern of abuse makes it challenging for women to break free, and psychologists ought to keep on giving support regardless of the woman’s readiness to leave a harmful relationship (Lutgendorf 2019 ).…”

Conceptualising the separation from an abusive partner as a multifactorial, non-linear, dynamic process: A parallel with Newton’s laws of motion

“…There is a general consensus in DA research that the presence of children represents a double-edged factor, both promoting and hindering the separation process. Indeed, the attempt to safeguard children from abuse might promote women’s decision to leave ( Scheffer Lindgren and Renck, 2008 ; Lacey et al, 2013 ; McDonald and Dickerson, 2013 ; Katerndahl et al, 2019 ; Heron et al, 2022 ). Nonetheless, fear for their children’s safety during and after the separation process might lead women to stay with, or return to, the perpetrator ( Levendosky and Graham-Bermann, 2001 ; Haight et al, 2007 ; Herrero-Arias et al, 2019 ).…”

“…The first addressed the determinants of the separation process, i.e., the pivotal factors playing a role in survivors’ decision to stay, leave and return to the abuser. In this domain are situated studies (e.g., Griffing et al, 2002 ; Anderson and Saunders, 2003 ; Koepsell et al, 2006 ; Kim and Gray, 2008 ; Sichimba et al, 2020 ; Heron et al, 2022 ) that highlighted important external, internal and relationship-related factors that may influence separation decisions. The second focus of DA research concerned the process of leaving an abusive partner, which has primarily been conceptualised as a gradual progression through multiple stages or as the product of sudden, decisive changes (“turning points”).…”

Settler colonial origins of intimate partner violence in Indigenous communities

“…Walker's (1978) cycle of violence model demonstrates a cyclical pattern of an abuser's tension building, expression of aggression, and subsequent contrition; however, it lost favor among feminists for its highly individualistic approach and the notion that women's claims of violence are measured against the visible benchmarks of the cycle (McLeod et al, 2021;Mitchell & Vanya, 2009). The perspective of learned helplessness suggests that IPV can decrease victims' sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem, leading them to believe that changes will not result in positive outcomes; and, therefore, they choose to remain in their abusive relationship (Heron et al, 2022;Walker, 1978). Numerous factors contribute to a woman's hesitancy to leave her abusive relationship, including economic barriers (Khurana et al, 2020;Wolf et al, 2003), distrust of service providers (Decker et al, 2017;Mantler et al, 2021), and fears of stigmatization (McCleary-Sills et al, 2016;Overstreet & Quinn, 2013).…”