“I'm a mother first”: The influence of mothering in the decision‐making processes of battered immigrant Latino women

Abstract

Healthcare providers (HCPs) may be perplexed by the decision-making processes of battered Latino women in situations involving intimate partner violence (IPV). In particular, decisions may appear contradictory and hazardous to the women’s children. The findings of this interpretive descriptive study reveal that the mothering role was central to battered Latina mothers’ decisions. The mothers strove to prioritize, protect, and provide for their children in every way, including managing the abuse and avoiding IPV disclosure to HCPs. Disparate understandings of the women’s decisions and mothering create a Catch-22 between battered Latina mothers and their HCPs. A trusting mother-HCP relationship is necessary for effective screening and intervention for IPV. This requires HCPs’ understanding of these mothers’ decisions and changes in clinical practice.

Why I Stayed/Left: An Analysis of Voices of Intimate Partner Violence on Social Media

“…The finding in this study that women stay in violent relationships for the sake of their children has also been noted in other studies (Eckstein 2011;Kelly 2009;Rhodes et al 2010). This can have particularly significant implications for working with ethnic minority victims of abuse, who might view their role as a parent within the context of a two-parent family (Kelly 2009). …”

“…The psychological and social impacts of childhood exposure to parental partner violence are well documented (Goodwin et al 2003;Holtzworth-Munroe et al 1997a, b), and the protective instincts behind leaving have been reported to be a strong motivating factor (Koepsell et al 2006). The finding in this study that women stay in violent relationships for the sake of their children has also been noted in other studies (Eckstein 2011;Kelly 2009;Rhodes et al 2010). This can have particularly significant implications for working with ethnic minority victims of abuse, who might view their role as a parent within the context of a two-parent family (Kelly 2009).…”

“…Other cultural and religious values about the importance of marriage, or of raising children with two parents may also factor into these decisions (Kelly 2009). And many women in abusive situations love their partners (although they want the abuse to stop), and they want to believe him when he promises to change, or that he needs to be there for the children (Barnett 2001).…”

Modifiers of Neighbors' Bystander Intervention in Intimate Partner Violence: A Concept Mapping Study

“…Waltermaurer's review found consistent and strong justification for and tolerance of IPV when actors suspect neglect or poor mothering of a child by the victim (Waltermauer 2012). Other qualitative work reveals that people view women who experience IPV less as ''victims'' and more as ''bad mothers'' when there are children involved (Kelly 2009). It is reasonable to posit that the presence of children in an IPV situation may affect bystander behavior, but the direction of such behavior remains unclear.…”

“…Evidence suggests that negative attitudes toward victims are stronger when a victim returns to the abuser (Yamawaki et al 2012). And while it is well documented that the presence of children in the home both inhibits and motivates victim help-seeking (Finkelhor et al 2001;Kelly 2009;Swanston et al 2013), less work has examined how it influences bystander behavior (Fledderjohann and Johnson 2012). Waltermaurer's review found consistent and strong justification for and tolerance of IPV when actors suspect neglect or poor mothering of a child by the victim (Waltermauer 2012).…”