Working Within and Outside the System: Why and When Survivors Seek Help After Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) who seek help or avoid help from both within and outside the criminal legal system (CLS). Data derived from 22 interviews reveal four types of help-seeking experiences: (1) addressing harm (2) increasing harm (3) mandating participation and (4) avoiding participation. These types reflect the interactions between the CLS and vulnerable populations who frequently mistrust the CLS but are compelled to interact with it. This typology uncovers the complex realities of survivors’ contact with the CLS and suggests less harmful alternatives as desired by the participants in our sample.