Experiences Of Domestic Abuse Research Articles

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG IMMIGRANT WOMEN: CHALLENGES, CAUSES AND WAYS TO OVERCOME

The article is dedicated to the critical examination of domestic violence among immigrant women, focusing on the identification of challenges, underlying causes, and the development of effective countermeasures to address and prevent such violence. The purpose of the study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence in the context of immigrant populations and to unearth the complex interplay of cultural, social, and legal factors that influence these dynamics. The tasks of the research include: assessing the extent and nature of domestic violence within immigrant communities; exploring the cultural, social, and legal contributors to such violence; and identifying the barriers that prevent affected women from seeking and obtaining help. The results of the study reveal a nuanced understanding of domestic violence in immigrant communities, highlighting the multifarious barriers that immigrant women face, from language and cultural differences to legal and systemic obstacles. The results of the analysis showed that the principal issues faced by immigrant women in the sphere of domestic violence include alarmingly high instances of intimate partner violence, with reports from specific ethnic demographics indicating that as many as 61% of individuals may experience such abuse within their lifetimes. Cultural stigmas and language barriers are significant impediments, often deterring immigrant women from seeking necessary help and from leveraging the support mechanisms that exist. Сomplexities in navigating the legal and healthcare systems of their host countries contribute to a sense of disorientation and lack of support among these women. The absence of confidential and culturally sensitive interpreters in healthcare settings further obstructs open communication about experiences of domestic abuse. The practical significance lies in the article's potential to inform policymaking, enhance service provision, and guide community interventions, aiming to improve the safety and well-being of immigrant women.

Conceptualising the empowerment of caregivers raising children with developmental disabilities in Ethiopia: a qualitative study

BackgroundCaregivers of children with developmental disabilities (DDs) in Ethiopia experience stigma and exclusion. Due to limited existing services and substantial barriers to accessing care, they often lack support. Caregiver empowerment could help address injustices that hinder their capacity to support their child as they would like. The aim of this study was to explore the meaning and potential role of empowerment for caregivers raising a child with a DD and how empowerment was situated in relation to other priorities in service development.MethodsThis was a qualitative phenomenological study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Amharic and English with caregivers of children with a DD (n = 15), clinicians (n = 11), community-based health extension workers (n = 5), representatives of non-governmental organisations working with families with DDs (n = 17), and representatives of local authorities in health, education, and social care (n = 15). Data were analysed thematically.ResultsThree main themes were developed: “Barriers to exercising caregivers’ agency”; “Whose decision is it to initiate empowerment?”; and “Supporting caregivers through support groups”. Caregiver capacity to do what they thought was best for their child was undermined by poverty, a sense of hopelessness, experience of domestic abuse and multiple burdens experienced by those who were single mothers. Caregivers were nonetheless active in seeking to bring about change for their children. Caregivers and professionals considered support groups to be instrumental in facilitating empowerment. Participants reflected that caregiver-focused interventions could contribute to increasing caregivers’ capacity to exercise their agency. A tension existed between a focus on individualistic notions of empowerment from some professionals compared to a focus on recognising expertise by experience identified as vital by caregivers. Power dynamics in the context of external funding of empowerment programmes could paradoxically disempower.ConclusionCaregivers of children with DDs in Ethiopia are disempowered through poverty, stigma, and poor access to information and resources. Shifting power to caregivers and increasing their access to opportunities should be done on their own terms and in response to their prioritised needs.

‘I’m a red-blooded male’: Understanding men’s experiences of domestic abuse through a feminist lens

The ways in which gendered expectations of women are used to maintain power and control by male perpetrators of domestic abuse are now well understood. It is also increasingly recognised that men can be victims of domestic abuse. This has led to calls to de-gender theories of violence and abuse, and arguments that the feminist theories which underpin many interventions are outdated. We draw on the experiences of 344 men using a helpline for male victim–survivors of domestic abuse to show that patriarchal constructions of relationships, femininity and masculinity, which underpin women’s experiences of domestic abuse by men are also central to understanding men’s experiences of domestic abuse by women. We propose that men’s victimisation by women perpetrators is not incompatible with feminist understandings of domestic abuse. Rather, that the influence of patriarchal norms in men’s victimisation accentuates the importance of gender in understanding and responding to domestic abuse.

Support worker’s experiences of self-disclosure within domestic abuse support services and women’s voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organizations: a qualitative enquiry

ABSTRACT This article examines the experiences of self-disclosure of women’s support workers within domestic abuse support organizations in England. This research considers the voice of women support workers from a feminist epistemological perspective using thematic analysis , and invites the consideration of who decides readiness to work in the sector, and the appropriateness of organizations making this decision for women who wish to work in the milieu of domestic abuse support work. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were held with twelve women support workers who identified their lived experience of surviving domestic abuse. Three key themes were generated through thematic analysis (ibid.): women’s choice in making a disclosure regarding lived experience, the impact of non-disclosure policies of women’s organizations on practitioners and the sense of hope emanating from practitioners with lived experience of domestic abuse. The findings from this study make a useful contribution to an under-researched and overlooked area within research on violence against women, that of the women who undertake such vital work in the sector.

Practitioner Understandings of Older Victims of Abuse and Their Perpetrators: Not Ideal Enough?

Abstract This article reports data from interviews with 66 professionals working across safeguarding, health, criminal justice and specialist domestic abuse services exploring their views about older victims’ experiences of domestic abuse. The findings reveal that older victims, despite embodying many of the criteria of Christie’s ideal victim, are not ideal enough as they fail to conform to the stereotype of the young, female victim of intimate-partner abuse. Similarly, their perpetrators, whether older partners or younger sons/other family members, fall short of the necessary criteria to be seen as legitimate offenders—they are not quite ideal—meaning domestic abuse against older adults is frequently repackaged as a health issue, with significant implications for professional practice.

Lessons learned from a gender-specific educational programme supporting young women with experience of domestic abuse

Background: Domestic abuse is a public health issue, and increasing evidence suggests that young women are more likely to suffer than older women, yet limited evidence exists in England about educational and intervention programmes for young women at risk. Study’s objectives: To evaluate a gender-specific (women-only) programme aimed at educating young women aged 13–25 years about abuse and staying safe in one English city. Setting: A third sector (charitable) organisation, aiming to improve women’s health in one English city delivered the programme over a 3-year period, funded by the Big Lottery Fund. Young women received both peer and one-to-one support, to educationally inform them, develop their skills and improve their capabilities in responding to abuse. Method: This qualitative evaluation captured the perspectives of young women accessing the programme ( n = 33), exploring the positive difference that it made to their lives. We also captured the views of internal stakeholders in 2018 ( n = 2), then followed up in 2020 ( n = 3), and external stakeholders referring young women to the programme ( n = 8). Results: The programme met its aims. Self-reported changes in young women’s lives included increased knowledge about staying safe and being happier. Some young women gained or retained custody of their children, and others exited harmful relationships. Young women identified a range of mechanisms of success including a non-judgemental approach from workers, peer support and a trusted space in which to meet and learn. The programme increased young women’s skills to stay safe while improving their mental wellbeing. Conclusion: The programme worked well for young women who accessed it. However, it could not reach all those in need, was only funded in the short-term and tended to individualise the responsibility for staying safe. Further research is needed in other community-based educational programmes to provide evidence of their effectiveness as well as transferrable models for workers in other contexts.

Children – the hidden or direct victims of domestic abuse?

ABSTRACT As the psychological impact of childhood exposure to domestic abuse gains more traction, referring to children as ‘the hidden victims of domestic abuse’ is becoming increasingly inaccurate and reductionist. Representing children as mere witnesses of domestic abuse also poses wider implications from the view of law and policy. Jurisdictions which recognise children as direct victims rather than hidden witnesses of domestic abuse, for example, send a clear message that the psychological harm of experiencing domestic abuse merits robust intervention (e.g. additional funding for child-specific support and services). Using a comparative approach, this study analyses the legal recognition of children who experience domestic abuse for the purposes of exploring how the child should be conceptualised in laws regulating childhood exposure to domestic abuse. For this comparative review, the jurisdictions of England and Wales, New Zealand and the United States (specifically the State of Washington) were selected, on the basis that they all respond to child experiences of domestic abuse in distinct ways that raise pertinent points of contrast. Whilst the State of Washington relies primarily on perpetrator-centric, criminal law responses to child experiences of domestic abuse, England and Wales and New Zealand resort to family law mechanisms that focus more on the child and the parent–child relationship. All in all, these points of contrast are pertinent because they provide an exploratory view of how the child should be conceptualised in law and policy. As this paper submits, conceptualising the child as a direct victim of domestic abuse––as reflected in England and Wales and New Zealand’s legislative efforts––works to send a powerful message about the severity of harm that children suffer when they experience domestic abuse. The State of Washington, on the other hand, has much to learn from England and Wales and New Zealand’s conceptualisation of the child, as its current legislative efforts appear to be rooted in an outdated understanding of the child as a mere collateral witness.

“The end justifies the memes”: A feminist relational discourse analysis of the role of macro memes in facilitating supportive discussions for victim-survivors of narcissistic abuse

This article reports the results of a qualitative study which aimed to investigate the role of internet memes in facilitating supportive discussions among women on an online platform concerning narcissistic abuse. Narcissistic abuse is an under-recognised form of abuse underpinning experiences of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence. The study focuses upon women’s communication through the use of Facebook memes. Studying these and their associated content/posts is important for examining narcissistic abuse experiences because memes have been identified as immediate conveyors of meaning, and associated posts and comments provide rich data that can generate new findings pertinent to abuse and support experiences. A total of 4 public Facebook pages concerning narcissistic abuse were used to analyse 100 memes and their attached comments/posts, which ranged from 15 to 175 per meme with an arithmetic mean of 39.4. Employing a feminist relational discourse analysis (FRDA) framework, the data were categorised in terms of thematic frames and dominant discourses of victim-survivors. The analysis identified how community-specific Facebook pages assisted help-seeking discussions and expressions of distress. It also suggested that memes function as speech acts to discursively shape online conversations related to experiences of narcissistic abuse. As immediate conveyors of meaning, memes facilitated emotional expression to provide psychosocial support and a form of feminist activism to those who experienced feelings of isolation and marginalisation within broader political, psychological, and social contexts.

A toxic mix: the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on the post-separation experiences of domestic abuse survivors

Reports of an intensification of domestic abuse under COVID-19 restrictions has been described by the UN as a ‘shadow pandemic’. Drawing upon interviews with domestic abuse survivors (n=11), plus interviews (n=18) and surveys (n=22) with support service providers in Scotland, this article develops a nuanced understanding of how the conditions created by the pandemic interacted with existing experiences of domestic abuse, highlighting the relatively overlooked experiences of survivors who have separated from their abusers. The findings reveal how pandemic conditions triggered, mirrored and amplified experiences and impacts of domestic abuse through the complex interplay between isolation, anxiety, lone-parenting, financial concerns and protective requirements such as mask wearing. Participants described an increase in economic abuse, abuse online and the manipulation of child contact arrangements as the restrictions imposed by the pandemic facilitated perpetrator behaviours. However, survivors’ resilience, coping mechanisms, and in some cases enhanced feelings of safety, were also notable. These findings generate insights into the evolving but persistent nature and dynamics of domestic abuse though the pandemic, including how domestic abuse interacts with, creates, and is compounded by gendered inequalities irrespective of whether survivors have separated from their abuser.

On Intimate Reaches of US Empire: Neoliberal Imperialism and Domestic Abuse in Metro Manila

Research shows that political economy—the structural distribution of a society’s economic resources as shaped by power inequalities—is linked to the incidence of domestic abuse as well as survivors’ success in escaping abusive relationships. Yet studies often overlook the extent to which domestic abuse in the global South is embedded in neocolonial structural violence. Drawing on interviews and surveys with urban poor women in Metro Manila, I explore how structural adjustment and state violence from the 1980s to the 2000s have inextricably shaped experiences of domestic abuse. Popular discourse and some gender scholars portray economic globalization as an empowering, even liberatory force for poor women in the global South. Instead, I trace how a political economy marked by what I call “neoliberal imperialism” has fueled domestic violence, not by boosting the upward economic mobility of urban poor Filipinas but by worsening their gendered precarity. I complicate feminist scholarship that has framed increased abuse as a male backlash against heightened female mobility. Gendered material inequalities, austerity, and militarization have serially exposed women and girls to cycles of violence. These facets of a neocolonial political economy collude to reinforce low-income Filipinas’ primary responsibility for reproductive labor, trapping them in abusive relationships despite access to cash earnings. I argue that imperialist extraction not only exacerbates domestic abuse but that interpersonal gendered violence is a tool for harnessing Filipina reproductive labor to reproduce empire. I critique carceral feminist responses to abuse in a neocolonial context, considering how urban poor Filipinas’ oppositional consciousnesses gesture toward structural alternatives.

Defending the Domestic Abuse Victim/Defendant: Why the Prison Reform Trust's Campaign to Introduce Defences for Offending Driven by Domestic Abuse Is Important

This article explores the vulnerability of many UK female offenders and their experiences of domestic abuse that drives their criminality. Now that coercive control by domestic partners is more widely understood, criminal defences should take into account the impact it has upon domestic abuse victim/defendants. The Prison Reform Trust campaigned for the introduction of legal reform that would end convictions of people who committed crimes as a direct result of domestic abuse victimization. The reform has been considered during the debates on the 2021 Domestic Abuse Bill; however, the government rejected the proposal. This article considers how the application of domestic abuse defences can reduce the female prison population and discusses why legal reform is necessary.

Nurses', midwives' and students' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to domestic violence: A cross-sectional survey.

To measure registered nurses', registered midwives', and nursing and midwifery students' current levels of knowledge, attitude and practices related to intimate partner violence. Nurses and midwives whether registered or students need to be confident and competent in identifying and responding to intimate partner violence. A cross-sectional survey. Data were collected through online surveys using the Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Nursing and midwifery students were less knowledgeable and prepared than nurses and midwives. Midwives had more positive attitudes compared with nurses towards women experiencing intimate partner violence. Heath care institutions and regulatory bodies should provide resources and support to nursing and midwifery professionals. Personal experiences of domestic abuse and professional experience of supporting victims of domestic abuse/intimate partner violence affected practitioner's abilities to identify and manage intimate partner violence. Nurse and midwifery managers can ensure that clinical and organisational policies and protocols are revisited and updated regularly and that interdisciplinary collaboration is promoted and emphasized for prompt identification and management of intimate partner violence.

Exploring the role of people providing informal support to survivors of domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic intensified women's experiences of domestic abuse. Demand for specialist support increased substantially, and UK campaigns encouraged friends, family members, neighbours, and colleagues of domestic abuse survivors to provide support informally. Research with informal supporter participants is rare, and yet, they are likely to have a good knowledge of the situation and to have substantial influence on outcomes. The aim of this research was to investigate how the pandemic impacted on informal supporters' appraisals of abusive situations and on their ability to provide assistance. MethodsA qualitative study with informal supporters of female domestic abuse survivors was underway at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited in the Southwest of England using advertisements in community venues and, once social distancing and lockdown measures were introduced, recruitment was extended across England using social media advertisements. We added additional questions about the impact of the pandemic and the related social restrictions to the topic guide. 18 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with three male and 15 female informal supporters (aged 25–69 years), over the telephone and using Skype. All participants gave recorded, oral informed consent. A secondary analysis of data relating specifically to the pandemic was undertaken using reflexive thematic analysis. The original study, and subsequent amendments, were granted ethics approval by the Research Ethics Committee in the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol. FindingsThe subset of participant interviews reported in this paper were held between March 30, 2020, and Sept 15, 2020. The themes generated in the analysis indicated four main findings. First, it seemed that the pandemic changed people's ability to “read” situations and to accurately assess the level of risk. Informal supporters felt greater uncertainty about whether the abuse had continued, altered, or escalated. Second, perpetrators' tactics evolved to further abuse by exploiting the pandemic. In particular, they increased surveillance and capitalised on reduced in-person contact. Third, the pandemic created a context where the capacity of informal supporters was increasingly stretched, and where safely offering support became more challenging. Finally, informal supporters demonstrated resourcefulness and creativity, for example, by forming support bubbles with survivors and finding novel ways to monitor the situation, in order to continue offering help. InterpretationIn the face of uncertainty, and an incredibly challenging life-context, informal supporters of domestic abuse survivors demonstrated resilience, creativity, and innovation as they continued to offer support. The pandemic has simultaneously highlighted the importance of informal support, and the challenges in providing it. More direct research with informal supporters is crucial to determine how best to support and equip this population. FundingAXA Research Fund.

‘I Think it Just Made Everything Very Much More Intense’: A Qualitative Secondary Analysis Exploring The Role Of Friends and Family Providing Support to Survivors of Domestic Abuse During The COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, and associated social restrictions, have amplified women’s experiences of domestic abuse (DA). In usual times, female DA survivors reach out to those around them (friends, family members, neighbors, and colleagues) for support. Accessing of both professional and informal support by survivors has increased during the pandemic. Informal supporters are often deeply invested and immersed in situations of DA because of the closeness of relationships. The accounts of informal supporters are rarely sought, yet these are people who may have a considerable awareness of what is happening. The aim of this study was to explore how the pandemic had impacted people’s assessment of abusive situations and their ability to provide informal support. This paper reports a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected in 2020 in England. The data were gathered in 18 in-depth interviews with people who knew a female friend, relative, neighbor, or colleague who had experienced DA. The age range of participants was 25–69 years, three were men and fifteen were women. A reflexive thematic analysis was carried out. Findings indicated: (i) the pandemic had changed people’s ability to read situations and assess risk (ii) perpetrators were exploiting the pandemic to further abuse (iii) within the context of the pandemic there was additional challenge to offering support (iv) informal supporters found creative ways to remain in-touch and to continue offering support. Further research with informal supporters is needed to ascertain how best to support and equip people, without imposing an impossible burden.

Experiences of domestic abuse within the South Asian community

The Black Lives Matter social movement has once again raised important societal issues around structural and racial inequalities. These issues stem from our political and social structures, which are argued to be a continuance of colonial rule and which allow injustice to amplify. There are many who continue to suffer and are often overlooked, namely victims of domestic abuse within the South Asian community. The Domestic Abuse Bill (DAB) is currently going through the Parliamentary process. It is argued that the DAB is flawed due to an absence of provisions and support for minority ethnic groups, namely the South Asian community. Previous scholarly research has documented the prevalence of honour-based abuse within the South Asian community. Despite the unique nature of abuse, this is not acknowledged in the DAB. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the unique experiences of domestic abuse within the South Asian community by thematically analysing two Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs). The findings will be discussed using aspects of ultra-realism, namely special liberty, and benign neglect. These findings will form the basis of reasoning behind amendment suggestions for the DAB. Following the thematic analysis of the two DHRs and critical literature review, three recommendations were formed: 1) Removal of ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’, thus providing funding to all, despite immigration status; 2) Provide education to police officers and GPs regarding domestic abuse and how it often differs depending on culture, namely the South Asian community; and 3) Implement neighbourhood committees across Britain that have a working relationship with the police to identify cases of domestic abuse within this South Asian demographic.

Perception of Women with Lived Experience of Domestic Violence and Abuse on the Involvement of the Dental Team in Supporting Adult Patients with Lived Experience of Domestic Abuse in England: A Pilot Study.

While there is existing evidence highlighting the important roles of health care professionals and the health care system in supporting patients with lived experience of domestic violence and abuse (DVA), there is a dearth of knowledge on the perception of dental patients on the involvement of the dental team, as health care professionals, in supporting adult patients experiencing domestic abuse. Data were collected from 24 women withs lived experience of domestic abuse using mixed methodological approaches and analysed using relevant analytic techniques. Results from this pilot study show that patients want to be asked about their experience of domestic abuse. Although there were barriers to disclosing to the dentist, evidence from this pilot study highlights that the dental practice is an avenue that can be used for appropriately signposting patients to relevant services. Evidence from this pilot study contributes to the existing knowledge on the need to raise awareness among the patient population with lived experience of DVA that the dental team can support them. In addition, there is a need for on-going training to enhance the capacity of the dental team for appropriately supporting their adult patients with lived experience of DVA.

Prevalence and Social Inequality in Experiences of Domestic Abuse Among Mothers of Young Children: A Study Using National Survey Data from Scotland.

Domestic abuse is a pernicious societal issue that has both short- and long-term consequences for those who are victimized. Research points to motherhood being linked to women’s victimization, with pregnancy being a particular point of risk. Across UK jurisdictions, new legislation aims to extend the criminalization of domestic abuse to include coercive control. Less clear is the relationship between mothers’ victimization of different “types” of abuse and other factors such as age, socioeconomic status, and level of education. The article makes an original contribution to knowledge by addressing these limitations of the existing literature. Using nationally representative data from a Scottish longitudinal survey (N = 3,633) into children’s development this article investigates the social stratification of mothers’ exposure to different types of abuse, including coercive control, physical abuse, and threats. Overall, 14% of mothers report experiencing any type of domestic abuse since the birth of the study child (age 6), of which 7% experienced physical abuse. Compared to mothers in the highest income households, mothers in the lowest income quintile were far more likely to experience any form of abuse (Logistic Regression, OR = 3.55), more likely to have experienced more types of abuse and to have experienced these more often (OR = 5.54). Age had a protective effect, with mothers aged 20 or younger at most risk of abuse (OR = 2.60 compared to mothers aged 40+). Interaction effects between age and income suggested that an intersectional lens may help explain the cumulative layers of difficulty which young mothers on low incomes may find themselves in when it comes to abusive partners. The pattern of social stratification remained the same when comparing different types of abuse. Mothers of boys were more likely to experience abuse, and to experience more types of abuse, more often. We reflect on how these findings could inform existing policy interventions.

Domestic abuse among female doctors: thematic analysis of qualitative interviews in the UK.

Doctors can be victim-survivors of domestic abuse (DA), but how this impacts their work and wellbeing, and whether they face barriers to seeking help is not well understood. To understand single doctor mothers' lived experience of DA, barriers to seeking help, and impact on their work. Individual qualitative interviews with female doctors in the UK who had left an abusive relationship. Interviews were conducted between August 2019 and March 2020. Participants were invited via a closed online forum for female doctors who are single parents. In total, 114 females expressed interest. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed. Transcripts were uploaded to NVivo and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. A total of 21 participants were interviewed. The internalised stigma of DA affected participants' sense of identity and belonging as a doctor, causing social and professional isolation. Many participants felt that the acute stress of DA had an impact on their work, yet often felt unable to take time off. Barriers to seeking help included lack of confidentiality, especially where the abusive partner was also a doctor (sometimes accusing the victim-survivor of mental illness or threatening to report them to the General Medical Council). Participants found peer support helpful, as well as consulting health professionals who were empathic towards them. After they had left the abusive relationship victim-survivors felt better equipped to support patients going through DA. Domestic abuse impacts on the work and wellbeing of female doctors, who face unique barriers to help seeking and reporting DA. An online peer support group can help to break the sense of isolation, but specialised confidential support services are also required to help doctors experiencing DA.

Psychopathic traits predict survivors' experiences of domestic abuse

Survivors of psychopathic abusers are a valuable resource for understanding the manifestation of psychopathic traits during romantic relationships. However, their perspectives have been largely under-investigated. Self-identified psychopath survivors (N = 475) were recruited from the community and assessed for domestic abuse experiences and the extent their abuser exhibited psychopathic traits. Linear and multiple regression analysis revealed that abusers' psychopathic traits were predictive of domestic abuse that was frequent, versatile, and physically harmful. Factor 1 traits, particularly those under the affective facet, were predictive of a longer-term abusive relationship and versatile forms of abuse. Whereas traits under Factor 1 and Factor 2 were predictive of abuse frequency, only Factor 2 traits were predictive of the degree of physical injury sustained from the abuse (particularly those under the antisocial facet). Discussion of the findings center on the value of survivors' accounts in identifying psychopathic traits that are most salient in the context of domestic abuse. The findings parallel research that finds the emotional disconnection and predatory nature facilitated by Factor 1 traits underlie abusers' ability to effectively maintain their partner's relational commitment, while perpetrating frequent and versatile forms of abuse uninhibited by emotional lability and moral emotions.

Maternal experiences of domestic abuse and their effect on the mother's approach to parenting.

Children's nurses have an important role in identifying and supporting families who experience domestic abuse. Safeguarding guidance is available to direct nurses working with families, children and young people in these situations. However, nurses working with children and families require the knowledge and ability to assess the parenting approach of mothers exposed to domestic abuse to reduce long-term detrimental effects to the child. The aim of this literature review was to explore research about how maternal experiences of domestic abuse affect the mother's approach to parenting. A search of healthcare databases was undertaken to identify relevant research. The articles were coded by grouping similar findings leading to the identification of three themes: modelling behaviours; compensating behaviours; and coping and parenting. Modelling behaviours involved mothers learning aggressive behaviours and becoming increasingly violent towards their child. Mothers displaying compensating behaviours were lenient in their parenting or provided positive discipline if the child was female, and those who were identified as coping and parenting had suboptimal mental health with an increase in depressive symptoms.