Family Relationships in the Context of Marital Violence: A Constructivist Grounded Theory

Abstract

Objective: to understand family relationships experienced in the context of marital violence. Method: a qualitative study that used the Constructivist Grounded Theory. The participants were 23 women, three of which were daughters of women experiencing marital violence. The data were collected from March to November 2021 by means of online interviews on the Facebook® and WhatsApp® social networks. The analytical process involved constant data comparison, in addition to initial and focused coding. Results: the central phenomenon, “Attributing meaning to family relationships in the context of marital violence”, and the “Distress experienced by mothers and daughters as a result of marital violence”, “Mobilizing to stop marital violence due to the daughters' distress” and “Mothers and daughters realizing the repercussions of marital violence experienced in the family relationship” processes reveal the impact of violence beyond women, also impacting the lives of their children. The pain and distress experienced, whether directly or indirectly, lasts over time, influencing the way in which family and social relationships are understood. Conclusion: marital violence was a process experienced by mothers and children, which mobilized the desire and actions to stop the problem. The meanings attributed to this experience are constructed, shared, elaborated and modified over time, but its repercussions persist with implications for the health and well-being of the victims: mothers and children.