Citation

Burnett C, Schminkey D, Milburn J, Kastello J, Bullock L, Campbell J, Sharps P. Violence Against Women 2016; 22(8): 943-965.

Affiliation

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801215614972

PMID

26612275

Abstract

This qualitative study of 10 rural women examines their lived experience of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and the first 2 postpartum years. In-depth interviews occurred during pregnancy and 4 times postpartum. A Heideggerian approach revealed "negotiating peril" as the overarching theme; sub-themes were unstable environment, adaptive calibration, primacy of motherhood, and numb acceptance. Some incremental shifts in severity of abusive situations were observed.

RESULTS elucidate the ambivalence with which these women view institutions that are designed to help them.

FINDINGS highlight factors that may explain why interventions designed to help often do not appear efficacious in facilitating complete termination of an abusive situation.

Language: en