POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH IN FEMALE SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of psychological resilience, social support and non-support in post-traumatic growth of female survivors of intimate partner violence. Study was conducted online using social networks. 104 women participated in this study including 26 women still involved in a violent relationship and 78 women who have left their abusive partner.
Women were asked about their violence experience by indicating type of violence and frequency, also there were questions about received social support and non-support, trauma symptoms, psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth. Type and frequency of abuse questionnaire (Tureikyte et. al., 2008) was used to indicate frequency of psychological, physical, economical and sexual abuse. Bosch support measure (Bosch & Bergen, 2006) was used to indicate perceived social support and non-support. Trauma Symptom Checklist – 40 (Briere & Runtz, 1989) was used to indicate trauma symptoms. The 14-Item Resilience Scale (Wagnild & Young, 1993) was used for measuring psychological resilience. And post-traumatic growth was indicated by A Short Form of The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (Cann et. al. 2010). Data were analyzed by conducting multiple comparisons between study variables and demographic characteristics in order to indicate which characteristics have to be controlled in regression analysis. Hierarchical regression model was constructed to predict post-traumatic growth.
Results of the hierarchical regression analysis revealed that all study variables and controlled demographic characteristics predicted post-traumatic growth but only status of the relationship (leaving abusive partner), trauma symptoms and frequency of psychological abuse were significant predictors of post-traumatic growth. Results confirmed some theoretical assumptions of post-traumatic growth and emphasized the importance of leaving abusive partner in order to experience post-traumatic growth. It is important to notice, that experience of intimate partner violence causes a lot of suffering for women and posttraumatic growth can occur as changes that helps these women to make sense of these experiences and incorporate them into their life stories without negating the negative consequences these women face.
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