This thesis explores women’s disclosure of domestic violence, and is based on the findings of two research studies. The first study explored prevalence rates of domestic violence reported by women following childbirth. The subsequent narrative study explored women’s experiences of disclosure and their interactions with statutory agencies. The research was influenced by a feminist epistemology, recognizing the marginalisation of the women’s experiences from a subjugated relationship, addressing the power relationship between the researcher and participants and because of the significant disparity between gendered lives. The study was conducted in two parts. A survey of five hundred women in the immediate postnatal period within a large NHS Hospital participated in the first part of the study. The second study involved narrative interviews with fifteen women living within their own community who talked about their experiences of domestic violence and issues surrounding disclosure. Women’s stories about disclosure including the responses they received were influenced by cultural narratives. The theories of social power have been utilized as an explanatory framework and provide the theoretical basis of the analysis. The study found low levels of disclosure at two specific points along the pregnancy/childbirth continuum; during booking in clinic and in the immediate postnatal period. Furthermore, the findings revealed three specific tactics used by perpetrators to engage women in the early relational stage with the intentionality of exerting control and subjugation. These have been termed feeling special, feeling vulnerable and commitment. Whilst women talked of coercion and subjugation by their partners, they also talked of how their interactions with statutory agencies limited their agency. The significance of this study is that the thesis was able to challenge contemporary policies developed by statutory agencies in the provision of support to women who experience domestic violence. The thesis develops some understanding of the nature and role of cultural narratives and patterns of disclosure before suggesting new directions to further advance the findings presented. Finally, the thesis proposes recommendations to improve training for statutory agencies in providing a response to women disclosing domestic violence, suggesting a new direction in thinking about the facilitation of this training.

Thesis (M.A. (Health Social Sciences))--Mahidol University, 2007. / LICL has E-Thesis 0024 ; please contact computer services.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-10-13T19:28:50Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO luisa.pdf: 667140 bytes, checksum: 042a1ead3a6ac404510ae5d668e03e8a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-13T19:28:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO luisa.pdf: 667140 bytes, checksum: 042a1ead3a6ac404510ae5d668e03e8a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-26 / A violência por parceiro íntimo durante a gravidez (VPIG) é um tema de grande importância para a saúde pública, embora seja possível encontrar na literatura diversos artigos abordando este problema poucos têm relatado a associação desta violência com antecedentes maternos e pessoais de violência. Este é um estudo de caso-controle de base populacional aninhado e teve como objetivo investigar a associação da VPIG com antecedentes maternos e pessoais de violência entre gestantes cadastradas no pré-natal pela Estratégia de Saúde da Família do Distrito Sanitário II no Recife, Pernambuco, entre julho de 2005 e dezembro de 2006. Foram entrevistadas 1.120 mulheres que se encontravam a partir da trigésima primeira semana de gestação. As prevalências encontradas foram: 30,9% de VPIG, 38,8% de agressão física antes dos 15 anos, 22,9% de agressão física após os 15 anos, 36,4% de vivência de agressão da mãe, 10,4% de violência sexual antes dos 15 anos e 6,3% de violência sexual após os 15 anos. A análise multivariada foi realizada através da regressão logística. As mulheres que relataram VPIG apresentaram uma maior probabilidade de terem agressão física antes dos 15 anos (OR = 2,10), agressão física após os 15 anos (OR = 1,71), vivência de agressão da mãe (OR = 1,50) e violência sexual antes dos 15 anos (OR = 1,78). O reconhecimento e a identificação da perpetuação do ciclo da violência na história das mulheres, em especial nesta fase delicada e de mudanças que é a gestação, poderá contribuir para a prevenção e o enfrentamento deste agravo. / Violence by intimate partner during pregnancy is a very important theme for public health. Though it is possible to find in the literature several articles on this problem, few have reported the association of this violence with maternal and personal violence antecedents. This is a nested, population-based control case study and it aimed to investigate the association of intimate partner during pregnancy with maternal and personal antecedents among pregnant women registered in the pre-natal examination by the Strategy for Family Health of the Sanitary District II in Recife, Pernambuco, between July 2005 and December 2006. One thousand one hundred twenty women that found themselves above the thirtieth pregnancy week were interviewed. The prevalence found were: 30.9% experienced intimate partner during pregnancy; 38.8% physical aggression before 15 years; 22.9% physical aggression after 15 years; 36.4% had a life experience of mother aggression; 10.4% sexual violence before 15 years and 6.3% of sexual violence after 15 years. The multivariate analysis was carried out through logistic regression. The women who reported intimate partner during pregnancy presented a greater probability of experiencing physical aggression before 15 years (OR = 2.10), physical aggression after 15 years (OR = 1.71), life experience of mother aggression (OR = 1.50) and sexual violence before 15 years (OR = 1.78). The acknowledgment and identification of the perpetuation of the violence cycle in the history of women, particularly in this delicate phase of change that is pregnancy, can contribute to preventing and fighting this damage.

Doctoral dissertation. / Format: PDF. Bibl.