Citation

Harris R, Stickney J, Grasley C, Hutchinson G, Greaves L, Boyd T. Libr. Inf. Sci. Res. 2001; 23(2): 123-141.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0740-8188(01)00066-4

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

One hundred and five women who were abused by their intimate partners described their experiences in searching for help and the outcome of their interactions with different services that comprise the formal help network in a city with an international reputation for its coordinated response to woman abuse. In the aftermath of violent incidents, the women most frequently sought protection, safe shelter, removal of their abusive partners, advice about managing their situations, a criminal charge against their partners, and medical treatment for their injuries. The women tended to use help-seeking pathways that led them first to the police or a hospital emergency department. In turn, these services often directed them toward community agencies with a specific mandate to assist abused women. The abuse-specific agencies then referred the women to a wide range of services in the community. Regardless of the type of assistance they were seeking, the women repeatedly mentioned the importance of the personal demeanor of service providers when they assessed the outcomes of their encounters with the formal help system. The findings are discussed with respect to designing community coordination mechanisms that overcome common barriers to seeking help and information.