Coping and Violence Exposure as Predictors of Psychological Functioning in Domestic Violence Survivors

• NCJ Number: 214026
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 340-354
• Author(s): Carla S. Lewis; Sascha Griffing; Melissa Chu; Tania Jospitre; Robert E. Sage; Lorraine Madry; Beny J. Primm
• Date Published: April 2006
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the relationships between prior and current abuse exposure, coping, and psychological well-being among women residing in emergency domestic violence shelters.

Abstract

Women residing in domestic violence shelters endured high levels of physical and psychological abuse. As hypothesized, participants drew on mixed coping strategies. Participants relied heavily on wishful thinking (a disengaged strategy), and problem solving (an engaged strategy). As violence escalated, participants disengaged. When physical violence increased, women reported greater social withdrawal, wishful thinking, and deflecting blame. However, when the threat was nonphysical, survivors increasingly engaged, reaching out to others. These results suggest that women seeking shelter may be motivated by the never-ending and severity of psychological violence. With a participant sample of 102 female residents of 2 inner-city emergency domestic violence shelters, this study examined the effects of adult and childhood physical and psychological abuse, abuse-specific coping, and psychological adjustment in battered women seeking emergency shelter. References