Violence Against Women And Abortion Access: A Content Analysis Of The Impact Of The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade On Victims Of Domestic And Sexual Violence

Author

Salika Vummarao, University of Central FloridaFollow

Keywords

abortion; roe v. wade; sexual violence; domestic violence; violence against women

Abstract

On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, effectively eliminating the federally protected right to an abortion. Following the overturning, several state-specific restrictions or bans on abortion were passed, creating increasingly difficult conditions for people seeking an abortion. Research shows that abortion bans and restrictions disproportionately affect victims of sexual and domestic violence. Hence, this study aims to understand the specific impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade for victims of domestic and/or sexual violence by analysis of news articles. This issue has not been researched in depth, creating a gap in our understanding. The database NexisUni was used to collect relevant news articles for content analysis, and an iterative process was used to develop themes within the identified relevant articles. The findings show several impacts of reduced abortion access for victims, including reduced reproductive choice, exacerbation of victim trauma through law enforcement requirements, lack of access to legal abortion and sexual/domestic violence resources, increased severity of violence in abusive relationships, and negative consequences disproportionately affecting minoritized or marginalized populations. Understanding the implications of abortion legislation for survivors of violence provides insight into the effects of future policies and changes as states continue to enact abortion bans and restrictions throughout the country.

Thesis Completion Year

2024

Thesis Completion Semester

Fall

Thesis Chair

O'Connor, Julia

College

College of Health Professions and Sciences

Department

School of Social Work

Thesis Discipline

Social Work

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

STARS Citation

Vummarao, Salika, "Violence Against Women And Abortion Access: A Content Analysis Of The Impact Of The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade On Victims Of Domestic And Sexual Violence" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 219.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/219