The Effectiveness of Postmodern Feminist Empowering Counseling for Abused Women: A Perspectives of Thai Abused Women

Abstract

This qualitative research aimed to explore the perspectives of Thai abused women regarding the effectiveness of postmodern feminist empowering counseling (PFEC) for them. The research and data collection was done in nine months. The setting of the study was a tertiary hospital located in the lower Northern area in Thailand. The participants were six abused women. The research instruments consisted of semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that the abused women, who received counseling, achieved changes in three aspects; (a) men and women are equal, (b) being abused is not fate, and (c) feeling powerful. These findings suggested that the PFEC process proposed can be utilized by counselors to increase perceived empowerment in abused women. Positive adjustments to their lives can be explained by their perceived empowerment and developed through the counseling process. Violence against women is danger facing women in every corner of the world. It can happen to women of any age, as a fetus, toddler, girl child, teenager, adult, and elderly. (Kritaya, Kanchanachitra, Im-em, & Lerdsrisuntad, 2005). According to the report of office of women's affairs and family development (2012), the incidence of violence related to children, women, and domestic violence markedly increased in Thailand, with a total of 916 occurrences of violence reported. The violence was perpetrated by men (86.23%) more than by women (11.50%); in about 2.27% of cases, the gender of the perpetrator was not identified. Considerably more women were abused within the family (87.18%) compared to men (10.28%); the gender of the abused was not identified in around 2.54% cases. Physical and psychological violence (in some instances) was carried out repetitively, and sexual violence represented 61.29%, 27.54%, 6.22% and 4.95% of the cases, respectively. The impact of violence on women's physical, psychological, and sexual well-being has not been systematically assessed (Leslie, 2001). However, some empirical studies revealed that the consequences of violence can lead to depression, psychological breakdown, or serious injuries. More importantly, in extreme cases, it can even lead to murder or suicide (Henttonen, Watts, Roberts, Kaducu & Borchert, 2008). A previous study by Smith, Tessaro, and Earp (1995) reported that women who were abused might develop fear and powerless. Consequently, the abused women were hesitate to receive health services due to shame, lack of self-respect, and decreased self-appreciation. Based on previous study, it has been found that the feelings of raped women were powerlessness, loneliness, and inner conflicts about power issue, being controlled, and inner questioning about the meaning of how sex with their partners should be (Finkelhor & Yoll, 1983, as cited in Howard, Riger, Campbell, & Wasco, 2003).