The Experience of Mothering in Relationships Involving Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

This study explored the experience of mothers who have been in relationships involving Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and child exposure to the violence. Semi-structured in depth interviews were held with a total of five women. Descriptive phenomenology approach was employed for conducting this study. Giorgi‟s method of analysis for phenomenological study was used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that women respondents were in a very stressful position as they had experienced violence by their partners and also had children to look after. The exposure of the children to the violence and their partner‟s abuse of the children have been shown to be a source of distress for the women. However, the women were also comforted by the presence of their children in their lives despite the fact that parenting had added to their stress in IPV. The women were found to be aware of their possible short comings as parents but this was so in a way that was not self-blaming. They appeared to understand their situations and also acknowledged their efforts and achievements as mothers which could be used to make sure that interventions build on the strengths of these women in the process of empowerment. The results of the study show that the women and their children have needs that call for greater attention to be given for survivors of IPV as the available services and service providers need to be attentive to their special needs and the need to expand the types and number of services provided for these women and their children.