NCJ Number
224697
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 14 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 1274-1294
Date Published
November 2008
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study documented the effectiveness of battered Mexican-origin women's usage of formal and informal strategies to survive abuse.
Abstract
Results found that Mexican-origin women in this study engaged in a number of strategies to survive abuse, such as formal help-seeking, informal help-seeking, and personal strategies to survive abuse. Although some strategies were deemed very helpful, others were decidedly ineffective. For example, the greatest percentage of participants reported that they tried to placate the batterer, that is, do whatever he asked to calm him. However, consistent with previous research conducted with battered African-American women, this strategy was described as minimally helpful. The most helpful strategy to survive abuse, as rated by those who employed it was maintaining a relationship with God. This finding is consistent with previous research conducted with non-Latinas. Findings of this study support the survivor theory perspective for battered Mexican-origin women as well as previous findings for non-Latina battered women that many personal strategies used are not helpful in surviving abuse. Data were collected from 75 women in south central Texas who were 18 years or older, of Mexican ethnicity, and had past or present involvement in a heterosexual intimate partner relationship that included some form of physical, psychological, and/or sexual abuse. Tables, references, appendix