Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Profiles of women survivors: the development of agency in abusive relationships
Other Titles:	Journal of Counseling and Development
Authors:	Hage, Sally M
Keywords:	Training;Counselling;Theories of violence;Informal responses
Year:	2006
Publisher:	American Counseling Association
Citation:	84, Winter 2006
Notes:	This article presents findings from interviews with 6 African American and 4 European American women in the US who are survivors of battering and who are also marginalised in society. Results indicate that women use active strategies such as social support resources, to preserve their sense of self and agency during violence. A collective set of experiences characterises the process of entering, enduring and surviving an abusive relationship. Findings indicate 5 major themes: 1. Supportive friends, strangers and family members; 2. Internal strength and spiritual resources; 3. Self agency in surviving the abuse; 4. Feeling trapped in a cycle of abuse; and 5. Previous experience of abuse and vulnerability at the beginning of a relationship. Risk and protective processes are identified, which contribute to a theoretical model of agency in women who are battered. Previous experiences of abuse and early entry into relationships make the women more vulnerable to abuse. Limited economic resources, lack of support resources, high stress and social norms contribute to the women’s sense of entrapment in their abusive relationships. For the prevention of domestic violence, additional resources are suggested: training and education on the causes and impact of violence against women; and interventions for staff, schools, community and social agencies such as legal, health care, religious and social service professionals. It concludes that the counselling profession should continue moving away from a bias of a problem-focused model towards a focus on human capacity to rebound based on protection and strengths as a new paradigm in counselling research, or a developmental, preventive model.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16374
ISSN:	0748-9633
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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