<p> One in every three women are victims of domestic violence. The social phenomena of intimate partner violence has been classified as an epidemic due to its impact on political, economic, social, and health development of human female populations. Research frequently questions mental health professionals’ ability to properly assess domestic violence severity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of DV severity, PTSD, self-esteem, and therapists’ minimization in female victims of DV. A total of 40 female victims of DV responded to the survey either online or on paper. The survey consisted of four measures and was administered in English or Spanish. Seven hypotheses were tested using the SEM path analysis, but none of them were supported. A close examination of the responses to the minimization scale revealed that half of the participants reported that their therapists minimized the need for law enforcement and courts to get involved in domestic violence situations. The need for further training in domestic violence treatment and addressing such subtle minimization is discussed. Major limitations of the study included small sample size and sample recruitment from DV shelters. Factors potentially contributed to the small sample size were explored. Suggestions for future qualitative research to explore and understand victims of domestic violence experience of minimization by mental health providers as well as quantitative research to develop and test a DV training program were discussed. Keywords: domestic violence minimization, PTSD, domestic violence, intimate partner violence.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:3717549 |
| Date | 15 September 2015 |
| Creators | Lugo, Blanca Lizbeth |
| Publisher | Alliant International University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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