Mothers' Perceptions of the Impact of Woman Abuse on Their Parenting

Abstract

Previous studies have examined the effects of domestic violence on women's parenting solely through questionnaire data. The current study, consistent with feminist theory, examines women's narratives about parenting in domestic violence situations through a semistructured interview. Thematic analysis of these interviews revealed that most women believed that their parenting was affected by their partner's violence. Interestingly, women reported not only negative effects of the violence on their parenting but also some positive effects, indicating that women frequently actively mobilize their resources to respond to the violence on behalf of their children. These findings are in contrast to theoretical conceptualizations of women who have experienced domestic violence as helpless or as focused solely on the batterer's needs.