A professionals’ perspective on the effects of domestic violence on victims

Abstract

Domestic violence is a widespread social problem that affects millions of individuals throughout the world. While research has shown that there is a range of repercussions, ranging from physical to psychological amongst others, little is known about the opinions of professionals who interact with these victims. In this regard, this dissertation explores the impact of domestic abuse on female victims through the eyes of multidisciplinary professionals working in the field. Data was acquired using a qualitative research design from three semi-structured interviews with professionals who have direct experience working with victims of domestic abuse. The data was then analysed using the Thematic Analysis method. Finally, a discussion of results was presented to compare primary data with the literature review. According to the results of this study, domestic abuse has substantial and long-lasting repercussions on victims, including bodily injury and mental distress, amongst others. The study also underlines the difficulties that professionals encourage when dealing with domestic violence, as well as the necessity for a coordinated and multidisciplinary approach to assisting victims. The implications of these results for policy and practice are examined, with an emphasis on improving domestic violence response and victim well-being.