Citation

Jackson KT, Tryphonopolous P, Yates JY, Shillington KJ, Mantler T. J. Mother Child. 2024; 28(1): 51-60.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Sciendo)

DOI

10.34763/jmotherandchild.20242801.d-24-00001

PMID

38920015

PMCID

PMC11200162

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) includes multiple forms of harm inflicted on an intimate partner. Experiences of IPV impact mental and physical health, social relationships, and parenting and resilience may play an important role in how women overcome these detrimental effects. There is little research on how resilience relates to mothers' experience of IPV. We explored the role of resilience in the context of mothers who have experienced IPV in rural settings via semi-structured interviews with six women and 12 service providers. The relationship between resilience and motherhood was a common theme across all narratives. From this theme emerged three subthemes: 1) breaking the cycle of abuse; 2) giving children the "best life"; and 3) to stay or to leave: deciding "for the kids".

FINDINGS underscore the importance of supporting rural women who experience violence in cultivating their resilience and consideration of policy changes which support trauma- and violence-informed care.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Adult; Female; Middle Aged; Qualitative Research; intimate partner violence; resilience; Ontario; Interviews as Topic; rural; women; *Intimate Partner Violence/psychology; *Mothers/psychology; *Parenting/psychology; *Resilience, Psychological; *Rural Population/statistics & numerical data; gender-based violence; mothering