Developing a Supportive Living Environment for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and Domestic Violence

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: June 11, 2007 __________________ I, Joyce Ann McCoy , hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Doctor of Education in: Urban Educational Leadership It is entitled: Developing a Supportive Living Environment for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and Domestic Violence This work and its defense approved by: Dr. Mary L. Brydon-Miller Chair: _______________________________ Dr. Lionel H. Brown _______________________________ Dr. Patricia O’Reilly _______________________________ Dr. Albert L. Watson _______________________________ Developing a Supportive Living Environment for Survivors Of Intimate-Partner Violence and Domestic Violence A Dissertation submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education (Ed. D.) in the Urban Educational Leadership Program of the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services 2007 by Joyce Ann McCoy B.S. University of Cincinnati, 1981 M.A. University of Cincinnati, 1986 Committee Chair: Dr. Mary L. Brydon-Miller Abstract This case study investigated what constitutes survival skills and a supportive living environment from the perspective of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Transitional Living Program participants and YWCA support staff. Research questions that guided this investigation are the following: (1) What survival skills do you need to live independent (self-sufficient, free) from an abusive relationship? And (2) what does a supportive (encouraging, caring, helpful, accommodating) living environment mean to you in a transitional living environment? Such questions help gather insight for improving intervention programs for abused women; although great improvements have been made in terms of legislation, policy, and federal funding, such advances have not been enough to improve the situations of abused women. Excerpts from interviews and other data were separated into common themes that emerged and were then grouped by categories – Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs pyramid (safety and security, belongingness and love, self-esteem, and self-actualization) and social support network (emotional support, informational support, and material support, and collaboration). The perceptions of the Transitional Living Program participants and YWCA support staff were used as recommendations for intervention programs. Programs recommended are the following: Assertiveness training, self-defense workshops, stress management classes, self-esteem building classes, family bonding programs, and facilitated support groups for mothers, children, and teenagers. iii iv Acknowledgements There are many generous people responsible for the success of this dissertation. First and foremost are the YWCA Transitional Living Program participants who trusted me enough to share their feelings and hopes. I am grateful to the committed YWCA support staff who voluntarily shared their professional expertise with me and ideas about how to better serve survivors of domestic violence and intimate partner violence. Thanks to Theresa Singleton, the YWCA’s Director for Protection from Abuse, for her ongoing confidence in my ability to apply the knowledge gained during the doctoral program toward developing and offering a support group for survivors of intimate partner violence and the privilege of investigating how survivors of intimate partner violence feel they can be better served for survival upon exiting the Transitional Living Program. I am grateful and indebted to Sharon Ward, a case manager for the Transitional Living Program, for providing professional support so that the research process could be successfully accomplished. Without your assistance there would be no case study. Thank you to my committee members: Dr. Lionel H. Brown, Dr. Mary L. Brydon- Miller, Dr. Patricia O’Reilly, and Dr. Albert L. Watson. I am especially grateful to my chairperson, Dr. Brydon-Miller for her dedication to this project, for editing the dissertation throughout the research and writing process, and for providing insightful and scholarly feedback all through the writing of the dissertation. Dr. Brydon-Miller, thank you also for giving me the much needed emotional support, guidance, and encouragement necessary to accomplish this important educational goal. I want to extend special thanks to my siblings: Thank you Bonnie McCoy for your v patience with me and support throughout the doctoral program. Thanks to Renee Cave and Donald McCoy for your assistance. And, thank you LaTanya McCoy-Lampkin for your technical assistance. vi Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Profile of a Survivor 1 Statement of Problem 2 Context of the Problem 3 Focus of this Study 4 Significance of Study 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Nature of Intimate-Partner Violence and Domestic Violence 6 Definition of Intimate-Partner Violence and Domestic Violence 6 Physical Abuse 7 Psychological Abuse 8 Social Abuse as Further Victimization 10 History of Domestic Violence and the Battered Women’s Shelter Movement 11 Prevalence of Intimate -Partner Violence and Domestic Violence 14 Physical Abuse 14 Stalking 17 Characteristics of Victimization 19 Sociological 19 Intergenerational Violence 20 Effects of Victimization 21 Cycle of Violence 23 Learned Helplessness Theory 28 Traumatic Bonding Theory 29 Long-Term Effects of Victimization 31 Interventions 32 Feminist Theory 33 Social Support 35 Network Analysis 36 Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 36 Resilience and Protective Factors 39 Strengths Perspective Intervention Model for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Intimate-Partner Violence 40 Effects of Victimization Discussion 42 Characteristics of Victimization Discussion 47 Summary of the Effects of Victimization and Characteristics of Victimization 54 Effects of Victimization 54 Characteristics of Victimization 55 Intervention Programs 56 Description of Emergency Shelters 56 vii Descriptions of Individual Residential Transitional Living Programs 57 The Need for Advocacy for Battered Women 63 Barriers to Intervention 66 Goals and Description of Batterer Intervention Programs 66 Success Rate of Batterer Intervention Programs 67 Dangers of Batterer Intervention Programs 67 Legal System 69 Summary of Chapter 71 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY Gaining Entrée 77 Field Sites 78 Initial Guiding Questions 79 Purposeful Sampling Plan 80 Transitional Living Program Sample 81 Transitional Living Aftercare Program Sample 82 Support Staff Sample 83 Data Collection 83 Role Negotiation 85 Interview Process 86 Reflexivity 86 Preliminary Data Analysis 87 Data Analysis 89 Data Management 89 Ethical Dilemmas 90 Exit Strategies 92 Researcher Reflections 92 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS Introduction 94 Profiles of Transitional Living Study Participants 98 Thematic Analysis 110 Survivors of Abuse Perceptions of Survival Skills and a Supportive Living Environment 112 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 112 Theme #1: The Need for Safety and Security 112 Theme #2: The Need for Belongingness and Love 113 Theme #3: The Need for Self-Esteem 114 Theme #4: The Need for Self-Actualization 114 Social Support Network 118 Theme #5: The Need for Emotional Support 118 Theme #6: The Need for Informational Support 122 Theme #7: The Need for Material Support 122 viii Profile of the YWCA Support Staff 123 Supporting Women and Children in the Transitional Living Community: Social Network Members Respond 126 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 126 Theme #1: The Need for Safety and Security 126 Theme #2: The Need for Emotional Support/Belongingness and Love 127 Theme #3: The Need for Self-Esteem 130 Social Support Network 131 Theme #4: The Need for Informational Support 131 Theme #5: The Need for Material Support 133 Theme #6: The Need for Collaboration 134 Qualitative Observations of the Researcher: An In-depth Look at Collaborative Efforts 134 Summary of Chapter 140 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION 145 Recommended Interventions 150 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 150 Theme #1: The Need for Safety and Security 150 Theme #2: The Need for Self-Esteem 152 Self-Esteem as a Risk Factor 154 Physiological Needs 154 Safety and Security Needs 155 Belongingness and Love Needs 156 Self-Actualization 157 Self-Esteem as a Protective Factor 158 Physiological Needs 158 Belongingness and Love/Emotional Support 159 Self-Actualization 160 Theme #3: The Need for Belongingness and Love 160 Theme #4: The Need for Self-Actualization 166 Social Support Network 167 Theme #5: The Need for Emotional Support/Belongingness and Love 167 Theme #6: The Need for Informational Support 168 Recommendations and Implications for Future Research 170 Conclusion 171 References 175 Appendices 190 ix List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Strengths Perspective Intervention Model for Survivors of Domestic Intimate Partner Violence 46 Table 2: Strengths Perspective Intervention Model for Survivors of Domestic Intimate Partner Violence 52 Table 3: Transitional Housing Program Models 61 Table 4: Sociodemographic Data for Transitional Living Program Participants 97 Table 5: Sociodemographic Data for Transitional Living Program Participants Children 165 Figure 1. The Impact of the Cycle of Violence Behaviors on Victim’s Hierarchy of Needs 147 x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION “We can strengthen girls and women so they are more resistant to the effects of the abusive behavior directed toward them and we can also change the attitudes of known batterers so they stop beating women. However, unless

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