Abstract
AbstractThis study explored the lived experience of Australian women affected by intimate partner violence (IPV) and determined whether and how recovery was part of that experience. An online survey of 665 Australian women in long-term recovery from IPV gathered qualitative information about their experiences and their definitions of recovery. The guiding methodology for data analysis was qualitative content analysis, as it provided a close analysis of the manifest meanings of the women’s responses and an interpretation of the latent themes within the data. Outcomes included a thematic analysis and the numbers of women referring to each theme. The women’s definitions focused on their lived experiences of recovery rather than on the psychological and academic constructs favoured by researchers. The five themes identified in the women’s definitions were safety and survival, gaining freedom, moving on, enjoying a better life, and issues with children and parenting. These themes did not represent sequential stages but generally occurred concurrently. Relapses, digressions, and highs and lows were also common aspects of recovery. Thus, these themes were more like threads woven together in a multi-axial continuum or recovery journey, rather than sequential phases. Although many women considered they had recovered from IPV, most women found recovery to be ongoing. Some women struggled to make any progress in recovery at all. Overall, recovery from IPV is multidimensional and individualistic in nature. It is an arduous journey that evolves over a long period of time and requires a great deal of support.
Funder
The University of Newcastle
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Law,Sociology and Political Science,Social Sciences (miscellaneous),Clinical Psychology
Reference82 articles.
1. Abrahams, H. (2010). Rebuilding lives after domestic violence: Understanding long term outcomes. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
2. Alexander, P. C. (2015). Intergenerational cycles of trauma and violence: An attachment and family systems perspective. W. W. Norton & Company.
3. Anderson, K. M. (2010). Enhancing resilience in survivors of family violence. Springer.
4. Anderson, K. M., Renner, L. M., & Danis, F. S. (2012). Recovery: Resilience and growth in the aftermath of domestic violence. Violence against Women, 18(11), 1279–1299. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801212470543
5. Austin, A. E., Shanahan, M. E., Barrios, Y. V., & Macy, R. J. (2019). A systematic review of interventions for women parenting in the context of intimate partner violence. Trauma, Violence and Abuse, 20(4), 498–519. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838017719233
Cited by
5 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献