“If He Were a Terrorist, You Would Have Caught Him Already”: The Experience of Divorce Denial Among Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

Abstract

This study aimed to advance knowledge about separation abuse—and, specifically, divorce denial—and its implications for the well-being of survivors, by applying the conservation of resources (COR) theory. Data were collected from 15 Israeli female survivors of intimate partner violence who were denied divorce over a period lasting between 1 and 12 years. The findings revealed the participants’ perceived detrimental effects of divorce denial on their well-being through multiple losses—in terms of autonomy, spiritual and relational, institutional, and financial resources. These findings suggest the need to assess and address the effects of resource loss in separation abuse interventions.