Between patriarchal constraints and neoliberal values: Dimensions of job quality for intimate partner violence survivors

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 932-949
Author(s):  
Karni Krigel ◽  
Orly Benjamin

Scholars have established the difficulties inherent in proposals that employment may serve as a rescue route for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, they have paid little attention to the possibility that those who do strive for employment experience a clash between the prevailing neoliberal policy and the patriarchal culture dominant in their relationship with their violent partners. Based on 33 in-depth interviews with IPV survivors, this study used a grounded theory approach to follow women’s experiences in the personal and employment life domain. The authors propose that in order to understand employment in the field of IPV survivors, it is necessary to deploy a job quality perspective. Further, they found that a gendered conceptualization of job quality is required, one that is evaluated by three relational dimensions: employment spaces blocking IPV penetration, control over one’s own income and a sense of skill recognition. These relational dimensions show that in participants’ work lives, neoliberalism and patriarchy conflict with one another. Accordingly, the contradiction between these value systems must be taken into account in conceptualizations of their mutual reinforcement. The authors propose reconciling them by focusing on the challenging experience of women’s employment, from which the innovative meaning of job quality arises.

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 222-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlie Watson ◽  
Nikki Carthy ◽  
Sue Becker

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore primary care psychological therapists’ experiences of working with mid-life and older women presenting with intimate partner violence (IPV) and develop a theoretical framework using a grounded theory approach to identify the experiences of those practitioners working with this phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach Interviews with 17 practitioners were conducted. The data analysis was informed by a grounded theory approach, which requires three states of data coding: open, axial and selective. Data codes were thematically sorted into causal, contextual, strategic, intervening, interactional and consequential conditions. Findings A core state of therapist helplessness was uncovered. The framework demonstrates that psychological therapists can doubt their ability to work meaningfully with women over 45 years of age experiencing IPV. To avoid the core state of helplessness, therapists use strategies such as avoiding asking questions about partner violence, making assumptions of how patients interpret their own experiences, addressing symptoms rather than the root cause and going above and beyond in attempts to rescue patients. The consequence of therapists’ helplessness often results in burnout. Research limitations/implications The framework identifies barriers in working effectively with IPV and women in the mid-to older-aged populations. Originality/value This study is the first to suggest a framework that is grounded in practitioner experience with capability to transfer to a range of professionals working with mid-to older-aged women such as forensic, medical and specialist psychologists.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110361
Author(s):  
Nicole van Gelder ◽  
Suzanne Ligthart ◽  
Julia ten Elzen ◽  
Judith Prins ◽  
Karin van Rosmalen-Nooijens ◽  
...  

Approximately one in three women worldwide experiences intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) in her lifetime. Despite its frequent occurrence and severe consequences, women often refrain from seeking help. eHealth has the potential to remove some of the barriers women face in help seeking and disclosing. To guarantee the client-centeredness of an (online) intervention it is important to involve the target group and people with expertise in the development process. Therefore, we conducted an interview study with survivors and professionals, in order to assess needs, obstacles, and wishes with regard to an eHealth intervention for women experiencing IPVA. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 women (8 survivors and 8 professionals) between 22 and 52 years old, with varied experiences of IPVA and help. Qualitative data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach and open thematic coding. During analysis we identified a third stakeholder group within the study population: survivor-professionals, with both personal experiences of and professional knowledge on IPVA. All stakeholder groups largely agree on the priorities for an eHealth intervention: safety, acknowledgment, contact with fellow survivors, and help. Nevertheless, the groups offer different perspectives, with the survivor-professionals functioning as a bridge group between the survivors and professionals. The groups prioritize different topics. For example, survivors and survivor-professionals highlighted the essential need for safety, while professionals underlined the importance of acknowledgment. Survivor-professionals were the only ones to emphasize the importance of addressing various life domains. The experiences of professionals and survivors highlight a broad range of needs and potential obstacles for eHealth interventions. Consideration of these findings could improve the client-centeredness of existing and future (online) interventions for women experiencing IPVA.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Catallo ◽  
Susan M. Jack ◽  
Donna Ciliska ◽  
Harriet L. MacMillan

Little is known about how to systematically integrate complex qualitative studies within the context of randomized controlled trials. A two-phase sequential explanatory mixed methods study was conducted in Canada to understand how women decide to disclose intimate partner violence in emergency department settings. Mixing a RCT (with a subanalysis of data) with a grounded theory approach required methodological modifications to maintain the overall rigour of this mixed methods study. Modifications were made to the following areas of the grounded theory approach to support the overall integrity of the mixed methods study design: recruitment of participants, maximum variation and negative case sampling, data collection, and analysis methods. Recommendations for future studies include: (1) planning at the outset to incorporate a qualitative approach with a RCT and to determine logical points during the RCT to integrate the qualitative component and (2) consideration for the time needed to carry out a RCT and a grounded theory approach, especially to support recruitment, data collection, and analysis. Data mixing strategies should be considered during early stages of the study, so that appropriate measures can be developed and used in the RCT to support initial coding structures and data analysis needs of the grounded theory phase.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
Chu-Li Julie Liu ◽  
Faye Mishna

Intimate partner violence (IPV) causes severe physical and psychological damage to victims. Older IPV survivors are increasing around the world with the rapidly growing older population. Little is known about the needs of older female IPV survivors in the Chinese cultural context; the aim of this study was to examine the needs of older female IPV survivors in Taiwan. A grounded theory approach was adopted. Individual in-depth interviews were utilized to collect data. First-level coding, constant comparison among coding, then grouping coding into higher levels of categories and identifying a central story were employed to analyze data. Findings were compared to literature for further verification. Eight Taiwanese older female IPV survivors aged 60 to 74 were interviewed. The findings revealed that the cultural premise emphasizing the importance of family was a major contributor to participants’ staying in abusive relationships. Four themes emerged in this study: 1) the marriage serving different purposes throughout the life course of the participants; 2) keeping the family whole enhances life satisfaction in older age; 3) working towards financial independence for lifetime security is an important goal; and 4) finding an independent space as a way of coping with the abusive relationship. Implications for social work practice, in particular incorporating the cultural premise into developing viable options for older female survivors, are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110374
Author(s):  
Nerilee Hing ◽  
Catherine O’Mullan ◽  
Elaine Nuske ◽  
Helen Breen ◽  
Lydia Mainey ◽  
...  

This study aimed to examine how problem gambling interacts with gendered drivers of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women to exacerbate this violence. Interviews were conducted with 48 female victims of IPV linked to a male partner’s gambling; 24 female victims of IPV linked to their own gambling; and 39 service practitioners from 25 services. Given limited research into gambling-related IPV, but a stronger theoretical base relating to IPV against women, this study used an adaptive grounded theory approach. It engaged with existing theories on gendered drivers of violence against women, while also developing a grounded theory model of individual and relationship determinants based on emergent findings from the data. Gambling-related IPV against women was found to occur in the context of expressions of gender inequality, including men’s attitudes and behaviors that support violence and rigid gender expectations, controlling behaviors, and relationships condoning disrespect of women. Within this context, the characteristics of problem gambling and the financial, emotional and relationship stressors gambling causes intensified the IPV. Alcohol and other drug use, and co-morbid mental health issues, also interacted with gambling to intensify the IPV. Major implications. Reducing gambling-related IPV against women requires integrated, multi-level interventions that reduce both problem gambling and gendered drivers of violence. Gambling operators can act to reduce problem gambling and train staff in responding to IPV. Financial institutions can assist people to limit their gambling expenditure and families to protect their assets. Service providers can be alert to the co-occurrence of gambling problems and IPV and screen, treat, and refer clients appropriately. Public education can raise awareness that problem gambling increases the risk of IPV. Reducing gender inequality is also critical.


Author(s):  
Zaina Mchome ◽  
Gerry Mshana ◽  
Diana Aloyce ◽  
Esther Peter ◽  
Donati Malibwa ◽  
...  

Intimate partner violence is a recognized public health and development issue that is consistently and comparatively measured through women’s experience of physical and/or sexual acts by their partner. While physical intimate partner violence is covered by a wide range of behaviors, sexual intimate partner violence (SIPV) is often only measured through attempted or completed forced sex, ignoring less obvious forms of sexual intimate partner violence. We explored women’s conceptualizations of SIPV by conducting in-depth interviews with 18 Tanzanian women. Using a thematic approach, we identified key features of women’s sexual intimate relationships and their perceptions of them. The women clearly defined acts of positive sexual relationships that occurred with mutual consent and seduction and SIPV that included acts of forced sex and sex under the threat of violence. They also identified several acts that were crossing the line, whereby a discrepancy of views existed whether they constituted SIPV, such as having sex when out of the mood, sex being the duty of the wife, sex during the menses, requests for anal sex, having sex to not lose the husband, husband refusing sex and husband having other partners. Women in this study felt violated by a far wider range of sexual acts in their relationships. Future studies need to improve the measurement of sexual intimate partner violence to allow the collection of encompassing, yet comparable, data on this harmful phenomenon.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1708-1718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda St Ivany ◽  
Linda Bullock ◽  
Donna Schminkey ◽  
Kristen Wells ◽  
Phyllis Sharps ◽  
...  

There is increasing evidence that women are receiving a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during episodes of intimate partner violence (IPV), but little qualitative research exists around how surviving this experience impacts the lives of women. Primary and secondary data ( N = 19) were used with a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore the lives of women aged 18 to 44 years, who were living with a TBI from IPV. Women described multiple aspects of living in fear that shaped their daily lives and ability to seek help and access resources. The central process of prioritizing safety emerged, with salient dimensions of maintaining a present orientation, exhibiting hyperprotection of children, invoking isolation as protection, and calculating risk of death. These findings add to the growing body of knowledge that women living with IPV are at high risk for receiving a TBI and are therefore a subgroup in need of more prevention and treatment resources.


Affilia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-497
Author(s):  
Mariachiara Feresin ◽  
Federica Bastiani ◽  
Lucia Beltramini ◽  
Patrizia Romito

Violence against women often continues after couples separate. Although the involvement of children in intimate partner violence is known, no study has investigated the role of children in postseparation violence in southern Europe. The aim of this study was to analyze male perpetrators’ strategies to maintain control over the woman after couples separate and the involvement of children in this process. We designed a multimethod research with a sample of women attending five anti-violence centers in Italy: In the quantitative part, women were interviewed with a questionnaire ( N = 151) at baseline and followed up 18 months later ( N = 91); in the qualitative part, in-depth interviews were carried out with women ( N = 13) attending the same centers. Results showed that women experienced high levels of violence and that children were deeply involved. When women with children were no longer living with the violence perpetrator, threats, violence, manipulation, and controlling behaviors occurred during father–child contacts: 78.9% of women in the longitudinal survey and all women in the qualitative study reported at least one of these unsettling behaviors. The qualitative study allowed for discovering some specific perpetrator strategies. Making the woman feel guilty, threatening, denigrating, and impoverishing her; preventing her from living a normal life; and trying to destroy the mother–child bond were key elements of a complex design aimed at maintaining coercive control over the ex-partner. Results from this multimethod study provided a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of coercive control and postseparation violence and how perpetrators use children to fulfill their aims.


Author(s):  
Chiara Rollero ◽  
Federica Speranza

Research has largely documented the damaging consequences of intimate partner violence. However, the literature presents an important gap in the identification of factors that may strengthen resilience in the victims, especially in the case of mothers and pregnant women. The present study aimed at investigating the experience of abused mothers engaged in an educative path in a Mother–Child Assisted Living Center. A qualitative descriptive methodology was used. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of eight women. Four main themes emerged from the interviews: (1) improvement in the mother–child relationship; (2) a process of personal change during the educative path; (3) the rebuilding of trust relationships; and (4) attitudes and hopes toward the future. Taken together, these findings highlight the process of resilience, conceived from a socioecological perspective as the ability to use resources rooted in interconnected systems. The implications of these findings are discussed.


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