Leaving an Abusive Relationship: An Exploratory Study of the Stages of Change Survivors of IPV Experience in Transitional Housing and Emergency Shelter

Background and Purpose:

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread public health problem across the United States. In 2010, the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) confirmed that approximately 33% of women and 25% of men experience some form of physical or sexual assault and/or stalking by an intimate partner. In order to more fully comprehend the changes that a survivor experiences in leaving a violent relationship, a discussion of the stages of change theory may be useful. Specifically, this study utilized a directed content analysis approach to understand the role that the TMC contributed to a survivor leaving an abusive relationship.

Method:

The researcher conducted semi-structured in-depth individual interviews with nineteen survivors transitioning out of abusive relationships who were residing at emergency domestic violence shelters or in transitional housing. The research question asked included: What impact, if any, do the stages of the TMC play in influencing a woman's decision to leave an abusive relationship? Directed content analysis starts with a theoretical framework with which to test the qualitative data against. The researcher aimed to both validate and extend the theory of TMC. The TMC framework was used as the starting point for the analysis of the data. The researcher used the main stages of TMC in order to organize the semi-structured interview questions – precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. The researcher used directed content analysis to examine those questions specifically and imposed the TMC process onto the participant’s responses.

Results:

The researcher developed a semi-structured interview guide for the participants in order of the TMC and the stages that they might experience in the leaving process. Aligned with directed content analysis, the researcher specifically developed predetermined codes based on the participant’s movement from one stage of change to another. The following were predetermined codes for the TMC: movement from pre-contemplation to contemplation, contemplation and preparation stages, action stage, and maintenance stage. Overall, the TMC Model "fit" the findings in that the participants’ methods of leaving generally followed the TMC stages. Because each participant experienced unique circumstances in the leaving process, variations may be found across each case. Results of this study support the utilization of the TMC for understanding a survivor’s process of leaving an abusive relationship as well as offer possible changes with regard to turning points for survivors and long-term trajectories.

Implications:

With the knowledge of the TMC and the processes that survivors go through when leaving an abusive relationship, safety planning needs to be further tailored to fit a survivor’s needs based on where they are in the leaving process. In addition, the TMC model should also be utilized as a tool for program evaluation and for the development of interventions. Longitudinal studies that can capture a survivor’s experiences along the trajectory which may include relapse as well as successful maintenance of separation from the abuser are important for social workers to be knowledgeable of in order to better assist survivors during the transition period.