Abstract
Giving birth at a young age and being a victim of intimate partner violence are adversities that affect the life course of women. However, some young mothers overcome these adversities and cope well, showing a dynamic resilience pathway. In this qualitative exploratory study, we examined a purposive sample of 10 resilient mothers who gave birth as adolescents in a situation of intimate partner violence. Their stories were gathered from individual in-depth interviews and on-site participatory observations. Data were collected and analyzed simultaneously, according to grounded theory. Inspired by Masten and Monn’s integrated framework of resilience, the resilience pathway of the participating mothers began with the occurrence of the adversities addressed in this study, namely, early pregnancy combined with intimate partner violence. To overcome these adversities, the participants deployed several protective processes: (a) establishing their maternal identity and the creation of a bond with the child as a turning point, (b) taking an active stance to respond to victimization, and (c) acting proactively and adjusting to motherhood. Promotive processes, positive adaptation indicators, and risks to positive adaptation complete the proposed resilience pathway. The results lead to the conclusion that increased recognition of the challenges that these young mothers face and greater emphasis on the importance of their social surroundings to support these protective processes would support them in their transition to motherhood and promote their well-being and that of their children.
Highlights
Violence against women is a significant public health issue and a fundamental violation of human rights: It is estimated to affect 30% of ever-partnered women worldwide, with a slightly lower prevalence of 23.2% in high-income countries (World Health Organization, 2012, 2013)
The pathway begins with the occurrence of the adversities addressed in this study, namely, early pregnancy combined with intimate partner violence (IPV)
These protective processes were (a) maternal identity and the creation of a bond with the child as a turning point, (b) taking an active stance to respond to victimization, and (c) proactivity and adjustment to motherhood
Summary
Violence against women is a significant public health issue and a fundamental violation of human rights: It is estimated to affect 30% of ever-partnered women worldwide, with a slightly lower prevalence of 23.2% in high-income countries (World Health Organization, 2012, 2013). Defined as “behaviour within an intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviours” 11), intimate partner violence (IPV) can occur in formal partnerships, such as marriage, as well as informal partnerships, including dating relationships and unmarried sexual relationships since the age of 15 (World Health Organization, 2013). Prevalence of IPV in young women aged 15 to 19 (World Health Organization, 2013). Estimates from a population study in Canada show that 10.9% of mothers interviewed postpartum for the Maternity Experience Survey (2006-2007) were
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