In Australian legislation and policy, definitions of intimate partner abuse acknowledge that it is an ongoing pattern employed by a perpetrator in order to gain or maintain control, foster dependency, and erode the self-worth of the victim and can include behaviours that are physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological in nature. However, societal responses – from service providers, and friends and family – to help seeker’s disclosures of non-physical abuse are indicative of much narrower understandings. This thesis draws on qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews with nine survivors of non-physical abuse to examine how responses to help seeking efforts influence stay/leave decision-making. Constructivist grounded theory was used in the analysis of responses from which two categories emerged – invalidating and validating. Invalidating responses inhibited further help seeking and prolonged exposure to abuse. Validating responses prompted efforts to alleviate or leave abuse. Drawing on the thesis findings, the discussion and analysis centre on better understanding the social foundations of decision-making and responses. These include: the reasons responses are so influential in the decision-making process, why responses are often incongruent with current policy and practice guidelines, conceptions of abuse in popular discourse, and the impact of social norms and popular discourse on non-help seeking behaviours. Following from this, some of the measures that might be employed to change societal responses to intimate partner abuse are discussed. The current study found that responses to participant’s help seeking efforts were influential in their decisions to stay in, or leave the relationship. The findings indicate that responses to help-seeking efforts are derived from public perceptions of, and attitudes to, intimate partner abuse. Poor understandings can result in poor responses, which can ultimately put the victim at risk. The current societal focus on physical manifestations of abuse belies the complexity of the problem and is detrimental to efforts to address intimate partner abuse. Improved awareness and acknowledgment of the impact of non-physical intimate partner abuse is therefore critical to domestic violence reduction and intervention.
Promoting Inclusivity in Intimate Partner Abuse Research: Exploring Gender and Age
