Women's Advocates and Shelter Residents: Describing Experiences of Working and Living in Domestic Violence Shelters.

Abstract

Domestic violence shelters are a crucial service for women who have experienced violence and abuse from intimate partners. Despite research that demonstrates the effectiveness of shelter stays, little is known about the practices that occur and the interventions offered. Using data from qualitative interviews with six women's advocates and six shelter residents, the article explores and documents the advocates' practices and the impact of the shelter stay on women residents. The women's advocates report that they provide women residents time to become comfortable, empower them to set their own goals and make their own decisions, and then help them to connect to other community resources. They also stressed that shelters are homes and they want to create environments within their shelters that are nonchaotic and violence free, so that the interactions encountered in these settings are different from women residents' experiences with their abusive partners. The women residents reported receiving interventions that were similar to the descriptions that the advocates provided about their practice. For these women, being able to feel comfortable, safe, cared for, respected, and not judged was central to feeling helped during their shelter stay. Although the interview accounts revealed the importance of the relationship between advocates and residents, the findings also demonstrate that the environment within these shelters is equally significant to determining the quality of residents' experiences.