Intimate Partner Violence in People with Adverse Childhood Experiences

Abstract

This study presents a thematic analysis of interview transcripts of nine survivors of adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence. The data collected from interviews was divided into three themes and further sub-themes of abuse. It also provided insights into the prevalence of a particular form of abuse in the sample and the emotional and behavioural outcomes of these abusive incidents. The analysis indicated how survivors of childhood abuse, lead their lives after and function on a daily basis by trying to gather information about their personal, social, and professional relationships, along with the way they tend to respond to the varying degree of stimulus they are subjected to, in their lives. It was concluded that the horrible incident(s) of childhood abuse, coupled with lack of awareness about the childhood abuse in society, severe taboo associated with societal stereotypes about the same, and the fear stricken, cold, unquestionable values rooted in Indian family systems that further prohibit self- expression of a child within family in terms personal, emotional, mental and social well-being, such that the lives of childhood sexual abuse survivors get overwhelming and burdening. As a result, they end up trying to do everything by themselves, either to prove something to others, or because they are too afraid to let anyone close to them. The study suggests that these experiences shape the emotional and behavioral patterns to be followed by these survivors and with lack of information and proper intervention in the early years, lead to a vicious cycle of victimization of intimate partner violence in their young adulthood. These findings indicate a need to promote social support, self-esteem, and positive coping styles, and decrease the level of negative coping styles, to markedly reduce the impact of psychological symptoms of childhood abuse and intimate partner violence on the survivors.