Social Services Fatigue in Domestic Violence Service Provision Facilities

Abstract

Findings presented here draw upon 9 months of ethnographic research in three domestic violence service provision facilities as a means to articulate the key elements of social services fatigue, a phenomenon resulting from residents’ need to (1) document progress toward self-sufficiency, (2) use particular language and behavior in the presence of staff as a means to demonstrate this progress, (3) actively engage with staff and advocate volunteers, at least some of whom are victim-survivors of domestic violence themselves, and (4) quickly learn that these elements constitute conditions of service provision. It concludes by exploring the practical implications of recognizing social services fatigue as a problem.