Victimization and revictimization among women of Mexican descent

To gain an understanding of the experiences of women of Mexican descent, born in Mexico or the United States who live with intimate partner abuse. The study was part of a larger study of the process of disclosure by women of Mexican descent who are subjected to intimate partner abuse.

Descriptive qualitative approach.

Two sites in a South Texas-Mexico border community: a woman's shelter and an outreach agency.

Twenty-six women of Mexican descent were interviewed.

A semistructured interview guide was used to elicit participants' views of their experiences with intimate partner abuse.

These narratives illuminate how the process of victimization and revictimization creates an environment that blinds people to abuse, promotes denial of abuse, and leads women to remain in a harmful situation.

Nurses and other health care and service providers working with women must take the initiative to assess for abuse; a few simple questions might change the woman's life and her children(s).