Turning Points: Critical Incidents Prompting Survivors To Begin The Process Of Terminating Abusive Relationships

Keywords

domestic violence; intimate partner violence; transtheoretical model of change; turning points

Abstract

The decision whether to leave an abusive relationship is very complex for victims. A small but growing body of research demonstrates the importance of turning points in these decisions. Situated within the theoretical framework of the Transtheoretical Model of Change, this study uses a phenomenological data analysis process to analyze the descriptions of turning points provided by a sample of 123 survivors of past abusive relationships who had been out of any abusive relationships for at least 2 years. Six distinct themes of turning points are identified: (a) facing the threat of severe violence; (b) changing their perspective about the relationship, abuse, and/or their partner; (c) learning about the dynamics of abuse; (d) experiencing an intervention from external sources or consequences; (e) realizing the impact of the violence on children; and (f) the relationship being terminated by the abuser or some other cause. Implications for research, counseling practice, and theory are discussed. © 2015, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Publication Title

The Family Journal

Volume

23

Issue

3

Number of Pages

228-238

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480715573705

Socpus ID

84930439358 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84930439358

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