Date of Award:

5-2014

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Psychology

Committee Chair(s)

Renee V. Galliher

Committee

Renee V. Galliher

Committee

Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez

Committee

Scott C. Bates

Committee

M. Scott DeBerard

Committee

Derrik Tollefson

Abstract

A qualitative study was conducted in order to better understand domestic violence (DV) survivors’ lived experiences and the mechanisms that assisted them in leaving violent relationships. This method of research enabled me to immerse myself within the work in order to better understand this issue from the perspective of the survivors. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups, women were given the space to have their voices heard. For this project, 13 women from two different states, of diverse ages, sexual orientations, and ethnicities who identified as survivors volunteered to tell their stories. To obtain a complete picture of their experiences, they described their relationships from beginning to their eventual leaving and life after leaving the abuse, thus providing further insight into their sources of strength, resilience, and mechanisms that assisted in the leaving process.

From participants’ stories, key factors in the development of the relationship were identified and their process of leaving was better understood; sources of strength, empowerment, resilience, barriers, and ways in which barriers were overcome were articulated. Additionally, the study yielded suggestions for how to work with individuals who currently experience abuse or are in the process of leaving abusive relationships.

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