TY - JOUR
T1 - Keeping it together for the kids
T2 - New mothers’ descriptions of the impact of intimate partner violence on parenting
AU - Herbell, Kayla
AU - Li, Yang
AU - Bloom, Tina
AU - Sharps, Phyllis
AU - Bullock, Linda F.C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/1
Y1 - 2020/1
N2 - Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 1 in 3 US women with the effects of IPV detectable for several generations. While IPV is known to have significant impacts on maternal-child outcomes, little is known about the mother's perspectives of the interplay between perinatal IPV exposure, parenting styles, and safety strategies. Methods: This secondary analysis of semi-structured, longitudinal qualitative interview data explored with pregnant women their histories of IPV, their parenting practices, and safety strategies. Data were derived from a randomized controlled trial, DOVE, with 22 interviews from 11 women collected during pregnancy and 12 or 24 months postpartum. Results: Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis resulting in three themes: “broken spirit," "I want better for my kids and me,” and “safety planning as an element of parenting.” Women described at baseline having a "broken spirit” due to their experiences with household and family chaos and childhood abuse. However, when mothers ended the abusive relationship, they described a better life and several strategies to protect themselves and their children. During their final interviews, mothers discussed how their lives improved after ending the relationship as well as safety planning strategies they employed like looking for “red flags” in potential partners, struggles with finding trustworthy childcare, and stockpiling money should they choose to end the relationship. Conclusion: These rich data add new information about how mothers of very young children navigate difficult parenting and safety decisions in the context of lifetime traumatic events and provide insights relevant for practice and research with this highly-vulnerable group of IPV survivors.
AB - Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 1 in 3 US women with the effects of IPV detectable for several generations. While IPV is known to have significant impacts on maternal-child outcomes, little is known about the mother's perspectives of the interplay between perinatal IPV exposure, parenting styles, and safety strategies. Methods: This secondary analysis of semi-structured, longitudinal qualitative interview data explored with pregnant women their histories of IPV, their parenting practices, and safety strategies. Data were derived from a randomized controlled trial, DOVE, with 22 interviews from 11 women collected during pregnancy and 12 or 24 months postpartum. Results: Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis resulting in three themes: “broken spirit," "I want better for my kids and me,” and “safety planning as an element of parenting.” Women described at baseline having a "broken spirit” due to their experiences with household and family chaos and childhood abuse. However, when mothers ended the abusive relationship, they described a better life and several strategies to protect themselves and their children. During their final interviews, mothers discussed how their lives improved after ending the relationship as well as safety planning strategies they employed like looking for “red flags” in potential partners, struggles with finding trustworthy childcare, and stockpiling money should they choose to end the relationship. Conclusion: These rich data add new information about how mothers of very young children navigate difficult parenting and safety decisions in the context of lifetime traumatic events and provide insights relevant for practice and research with this highly-vulnerable group of IPV survivors.
KW - Child rearing
KW - Intergenerational trauma
KW - Intimate partner violence
KW - Parenting
KW - Qualitative analysis
KW - Safety planning
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U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104268
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104268
M3 - Article
C2 - 31791008
AN - SCOPUS:85075739458
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 99
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
M1 - 104268
ER -