Type:	Journal Article
Title:	A theoretical framework for understanding help-seeking processes among survivors of intimate partner violence
Other Titles:	American journal of community psychology
Authors:	Goodman, Lisa Weintraub, Sarah Tummala-Narra, Pratyusha Liang, Belle
Keywords:	Informal responses;Theories of violence;Mental health
Year:	2005
Publisher:	Plenum Press
Citation:	36 (1/2), September 2005
Notes:	General overview:This US article explores individual, familial, economic and cultural influences on women’s decisions to seek help in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). Methods:A literature review on relevant research is provided. Individual, interpersonal and sociocultural factors that influence decision making at each stage are examined with case examples. Discussion: In the first part, research showing the role of social support (formal and informal) in improving the mental health and physical safety of battered women and studies looking at IPV victims’ help seeking patterns, are examined. The second part explores research on help seeking and ‘stigmatising’ problems to understand the individual, interpersonal and sociocultural factors that played a part in victims’ help seeking processes. Results:A cognitive theory on help seeking in ‘stigmatising’ situations suggests 3 processes or stages of seeking help in the context of IPV: defining the problem, deciding to seek help, and selecting a source of support. The decision of whether to seek help comes from the woman’s problem definition, which continually shifts as a woman’s cognitive appraisal of her situation and external circumstances change. The decision making process to choose a source of help is not linear. Research suggests that social support functions as a stress buffer only if the type of support matches the abuse survivor’s coping needs and situation. Battered women may avoid help if the help provider fails to acknowledge the realities of their lives. Women’s definitions that closely match mainstream conceptualisations of IPV may more readily seek help from informal and formal supports. However, even when individual constructs of IPV closely match mainstream definitions, negative or positive experiences with formal and informal support may shape how a woman modifies her definition of IPV and what she decides with seeking additional help or not. Conclusions: Qualitative research and client-centred intervention approaches are needed to go beyond the generic, professional conceptualisations of help seeking to models that address the diverse experiences of battered women. Implications and recommendations for research and practice are included.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/13208
ISSN:	0091-0562
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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