To Stay or to Leave: Factors Influencing Victims’ Decisions to Stay or Leave a Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter

Fisher, Elisa; Stylianou, Amanda M.

doi:10.1177/0886260516645816

Cited by 27 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Those survivors who do leave, especially those who go to a traditional secret-location DV shelter, may find that shelter-imposed separation from their usual sources of support triggers such profound loneliness that a return to an abusive relationship begins to seem more inviting, despite the attendant risk of further violence. Indeed, one study demonstrated that loneliness was a chief reason that survivors left shelters early and returned to their abusive partners (Fisher and Stylianou 2019 ). Another study cited loneliness as the primary reason survivors accepted apologies from their violent partners and returned to their relationships (Eisikovits and Band-Winterstein 2015 ).…”

Section: The Dangerous Consequences Of Lonelinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While many survivors credit shelters for increasing their safety (Sullivan and Virden 2017 ), a growing body of research indicates that the long-standing tradition of maintaining DV shelters at strictly secret locations, far from survivors’ home communities, and off-limits to visits from even their closest family and friends, make it enormously difficult, if not impossible, for survivors to maintain social connections (Fisher and Stylianou 2019 ; Kulkarni et al 2019 ). Many shelter residents experience a cessation of connection with virtually everyone and everything they have known, loved, and been part of (Thomas et al 2015 )—in other words, a perfect storm of loneliness.…”

Section: Responding To Survivor Loneliness During the Pandemic And Bementioning

confidence: 99%

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Loneliness and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

Goodman

Epstein

2020

J Fam Viol

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The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically highlighted the isolation of domestic violence survivors, triggering media coverage and innovative efforts to reach out to those who are trapped in their homes, facing greater danger from their partners than from the virus. But another harmful aspect of this difficult time has received far less attention: survivors’ intensified loneliness . Although loneliness can be catalyzed by isolation, it is a distinct psychological phenomenon that is internal and subjective in nature. Loneliness is not only acutely painful in its own right; it also inflicts a range of long lasting, health-related harms, and heightens survivors’ vulnerability to violence, creating a vicious cycle that may continue long after strict stay-at-home and physical distancing policies end. This may be particularly true for marginalized survivors, for whom larger structural inequalities and institutional failures compound the negative impact of loneliness. This brief report describes what we know about the nature and costs of survivor loneliness and uses the COVID-19 pandemic as a lens through which to review the ways current DV interventions may help alleviate loneliness (as distinct from isolation), and how these might be expanded to enhance survivor wellbeing, immediately and even after a return to “normal.”

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Section: The Dangerous Consequences Of Lonelinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Responding To Survivor Loneliness During the Pandemic And Bementioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

Goodman

Epstein

2020

J Fam Viol

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“…Rules and agency environment influence survivors’ experiences and decisions to stay or leave on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of experience. Fisher and Stylianou (2019) explored factors that underscore survivors’ decisions to stay in or leave shelter. Interviews with 33 women at four shelters illuminated three primary themes that guided whether participants stayed or left: (a) contextual environmental factors such as availability of housing and other resources; (b) relationship factors, including fear and safety needs; and (c) shelter specific factors, such as available support, but also rapport with staff and agency policy.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interviews with 33 women at four shelters illuminated three primary themes that guided whether participants stayed or left: (a) contextual environmental factors such as availability of housing and other resources; (b) relationship factors, including fear and safety needs; and (c) shelter specific factors, such as available support, but also rapport with staff and agency policy. Policies considered restrictive and unhelpful staff were major reasons for exit (Fisher & Stylianou, 2019).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Playing by the Rules: Agency Policy and Procedure in Service Experience of IPV Survivors

Wood

Heffron

Voyles³

et al. 2017

J Interpers Violence

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More than 1,800 programs exist in the United States, providing not only shelter but also transitional housing, advocacy and support, transportation, legal aid, and group and individual counseling for women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Shelter and transitional housing provide critical support for survivors, but have also been critiqued for having too many restrictive rules and code of conduct. More information is needed about the impact of rules and agency policy on women seeking services in IPV residential settings. This qualitative study explored the central research question, "How do rules shape IPV residential environment and survivor experiences in services?" Twenty-five women in four programs in two states who were currently residing in IPV residential services were interviewed about their experiences. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Findings indicated rules affect individual survivors' and families' experiences and responses in services and of healing from IPV (micro), the relationships among residents and between residents and staff (mezzo), and participants' relationships with the agency as an institution and the help-seeking community (macro). An intriguing paradox is noted in that at their best, rules provide stability and motivation for some survivors. At their worst, rules create isolation and force exit from shelter into unsafe circumstances, causing a ripple effect of impact. Implications include the need to restructure rules and policies collaboratively with residents, and reduce the amount of rules used in services. Addressing rules will better enable IPV services to be survivor-centered and trauma-informed, ultimately increasing safety and healing.

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Interventions with Family Violence Survivors: Assistance for Abused Women and Children

Frieze

Newhill

Fusco

2020

Dynamics of Family and Intimate Partner Violence

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To Stay or to Leave: Factors Influencing Victims’ Decisions to Stay or Leave a Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter

Cited by 27 publications

References 27 publications

Loneliness and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

Loneliness and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

Playing by the Rules: Agency Policy and Procedure in Service Experience of IPV Survivors

Interventions with Family Violence Survivors: Assistance for Abused Women and Children

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