Rebuilding Lives After Domestic Violence: Understanding Long-Term Outcomes

by Abrahams, Hilary; Murray, Jenni

• ISBN13: 9781843109617
• ISBN10: 1843109611
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-15
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub

Summary

Rebuilding Lives after Domestic Violence examines in-depth the long-term outcomes for women who have suffered domestic violence and abuse, based on interviews conducted over seven years.

Author Biography

Hilary Abrahams is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Gender and Violence Research (previously the Violence against Women Research Group) at the University of Bristol She has worked extensively on the support needs and service provision for families where domestic violence is an issue, including a major research project evaluating the housing and support schemes funded by the Safer Communities Supported Housing Fund. She is author of Supporting Women after Domestic Violence: Loss Trama and Recovery, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 9
Introduction	p. 11
About the project	p. 12
About the book	p. 13
Making the choice to respond	p. 14
A New Journey - With Old Baggage	p. 17
Hopes and expectations	p. 17
Effects of domestic violence and abuse	p. 19
Making sense of the effects of abuse	p. 22
The process of leaving	p. 24
An emotional roller coaster	p. 26
Summary	p. 29
The Transformation of Home	p. 31
Women and home	p. 32
Where shall I go?	p. 33
Getting a property	p. 35
Condition and maintenance	p. 37
It's mine!	p. 38
Settling in, moving on	p. 40
Summary	p. 43
Building Support Systems	p. 47
Working together	p. 48
Dealing with the nuts and bolts	p. 49
Building the capacity to cope	p. 49
Moments of uncertainty	p. 50
Saying goodbye	p. 52
Help from the police	p. 54
Approaching other agencies	p. 54
Sorting out problems	p. 56
Refuge workers' perceptions of their role	p. 58
Families	p. 60
Growth and change	p. 62
Conclusion	p. 64
Summary	p. 65
Community, Friendship and Beyond	p. 69
Part of the community	p. 69
Friendships with former residents	p. 73
Feelings of loss and loneliness	p. 74
'Different place, same crap'	p. 75
Changing outcomes	p. 79
Finding their own pathways	p. 80
Summary	p. 84
Managing a New Life	p. 87
Counting the pennies	p. 87
Managing debt	p. 89
The costs of working	p. 90
Gaining qualifications	p. 92
No way forward	p. 93
Pathways into work	p. 94
Taking a break	p. 97
Safety	p. 99
Summary	p. 101
Health and Well-being	p. 105
Physical health	p. 106
Coping behaviours and strategies	p. 107
Back from the brink	p. 109
Easing the pain in daily life	p. 112
Taking a stand	p. 114
Good days, bad days	p. 115
Someone to listen	p. 117
Barriers to seeking help	p. 120
Summary	p. 121
What About the Children?	p. 125
On leaving	p. 126
What domestic violence meant for the children	p. 126
The consequences of abuse	p. 128
Services	p. 130
Education	p. 132
Contact	p. 134
Parenting	p. 138
The changing family	p. 140
A new picture	p. 141
Summary	p. 142
The View from Here	p. 145
A new way of being	p. 146
Realignment	p. 148
The refuge	p. 149
Life after leaving	p. 152
Rebuilding a life	p. 154
Women for women services?	p. 155
Conclusion	p. 159
Summary	p. 160
Looking Forward, Looking Back	p. 163
Moving forward	p. 163
Reaching out to others	p. 167
Messages from a new life	p. 170
A final thought	p. 173
About the Project	p. 175
Background	p. 172
Theoretical approach	p. 173
Making contact	p. 173
Method	p. 175
Ethical considerations	p. 175
Participants	p. 178
Precis of Topic Guide for Interviews	p. 183
Resource Materials	p. 189
Bibliography	p. 195
Index	p. 201
Figure
Maslow's hierarchy of human need	p. 23
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