Leaving an abusive relationship : sources of strength and motivation

Abstract

This research study analyses how Maltese female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) develop the resilience needed to permanently leave their male perpetrators. It also seeks to identify gaps in existing policies and practices and presents proposals that would feed into the development of better social policies, and in the implementation of rights enshrined in the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention (May 11, 2011). The findings aspire to contribute to the work of professionals in the field of domestic violence, such as lawyers, law enforcement agencies, policy makers, counsellors, social workers and heads of shelters, when supporting victims of intimate partner violence in their journey to develop resilience and become survivors. A qualitative research strategy design was employed to obtain in depth knowledge on the views of professionals on the sources of strength and motivation that women draw upon when deciding to leave an abusive relationship. A total of eight elite interviews were carried out between November 2020 and January 2021. The interviews followed eight pre-defined questions and took the form of a semi-structured interview to ensure that the goals] of the interviews were met. The pre-defined questions were standard for all interviews to achieve the same depth of information. All research participants dealt with policies and/or were working at the time of being interviewed with women going through domestic violence on a daily basis. The study produced interesting findings on what professionals view as resilience during the Maltese woman’s journey from living through intimate partner violence to becoming a survivor and establishes a new independent life. All participants agreed that the woman needs to be resilient to fight her perpetrator’s actions and cultural norms, although society has matured over recent years to recognise that a woman’s safety is more important than saving her marriage. The systems that are designed to support a woman, such as legal and housing are inefficient and frequently work against, rather than, with the woman. These findings underpin the recommendations aimed at improving efficiencies within such systems so as to facilitate the woman’s transition from victim to survivor.