While leaving abusive male partners, women engaged in a 4 stage process of reclaiming self
QUESTION: What are the experiences of women who have left abusive male partners and have not gone back?
Design
Feminist grounded theory.
Setting
Small towns and rural communities in eastern Canada.
Participants
15 Caucasian women identified by lay and professional helpers as having left abusive relationships (age range: late teens to mid 50 y; education level range: elementary school to university degree; employment status: employed, students, or receiving social assistance).
Methods
All women were interviewed and initially asked to talk about how they had left their relationships. Interviews were transcribed, and concepts were identified in data analysis. Theoretical sampling and coding were used to clarify relationships between concepts and facilitate the development of a theoretical framework. In repeat interviews, emerging theories were shared with participants for discussion and refinement.
Main findings
Reclaiming self was the central social psychological process that emerged, in which women journeyed through 4 stages: counteracting abuse, breaking free, not going back, and moving on. During the …
