Survivor-Centered Practice and Survivor Empowerment: Evidence From A Research–Practitioner Partnership

Abstract

In the domestic violence field, a survivor-centered approach to services is a shared ideal, but there is little empirical work demonstrating its importance. This study filled that gap, focusing on a key outcome—safety-related empowerment. We gathered data from 177 intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors seeking community-based services, and after one session with an advocate, results revealed a significant change in two of three subscales of the Measure of Victim Empowerment Related to Safety (MOVERS) measure: Internal Tools and Expectations of Support. There was no change in Trade-Offs (pursuing safety causing new problems). More survivor-defined practice predicted greater changes in empowerment, over and above severity of violence, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and demographics.

Examining contextual influences on the service needs of homeless and unstably housed domestic violence survivors

“…Each class was significantly associated with both the number and type of services survivors reported needing from the agency, such that those with the highest disadvantages reported wanting a significantly higher number and broader range of services from the agency compared with the other classes. These findings support the deduction that there are diverse subgroups of survivors seeking services and these groups may want and need different types and levels of assistance (Cattaneo et al, 2020;Davies & Lyon, 2013;Goodman et al, 2016). These findings also corroborate the importance of providing survivor-centered advocacy to assist survivors in obtaining safe and stable housing.…”

“…Domestic violence (DV) victim service programs in the United States share a commitment to providing survivor‐driven assistance (Cattaneo et al, 2020; Davies & Lyon, 2013), which means they focus on DV survivors' individual needs and circumstances rather than offering one set of predetermined services to everyone. This is important because each DV survivor is seeking something different from agencies: some are looking for legal assistance to end the relationship, some want emotional support more than tangible assistance, others need emergency respite from ongoing violence, and many are looking for a combination of supports and services.…”

“…DV survivors have reported finding agency assistance to be more helpful when they felt they had greater control over the services they received (Zweig & Burt, 2007). Further, survivor-defined services have been linked to positive changes in survivors' sense of empowerment (Cattaneo et al, 2020).…”

Women survivors of intimate partner violence talk about using e-health during pregnancy: a focus group study

“…A possible reason for such mixed results is that current eHealth interventions are not fully adapted to women’s situation and moment of life [ 29 ]. For the last 20 years, there has been growing interest in including the public and patients’ opinions into health services and the work of health professionals [ 30 ].…”

A critical discourse analysis of intimate partner violence and sexual violence discourse on the websites of two institutions of higher education

“…3) leadership and inclusion of students and survivors 4) important considerations related to privacy, confidentiality, and information-sharing 5) interim protection provisions to support survivor safety 6) service provision and coordination of on-and off-campus supports 7) accommodations for survivors 8) campus-wide training and education to prevent and respond to sexual violence (Rossiter et al, 2020, p. 37-38) Survivor-centered practices have been shown to facilitate future safety, lower rates of depression, a higher sense of self-confidence, and individuals will be more likely to reach out for help in the future (Cattaneo et al, 2020;Goodman et al, 2016;Nichols, 2013). This aspect can be challenging in some higher education institutions that utilize mandated reporting or have confusing or convoluted language about confidential resources.…”