Employment Maintenance and Intimate Partner Violence

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue in the U.S.
• IPV negatively impacts women's ability to secure and retain employment.
• Understanding the employment challenges faced by survivors is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a theoretical framework explaining how women experiencing IPV attain and maintain employment.
• To explore the complex relationship between IPV and employment.
• To identify factors influencing employment stability for survivors.

Main Methods:

• Grounded theory methodology was employed.
• In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 women who had experienced IPV.
• Qualitative data analysis was used to identify themes and develop a theoretical framework.

Main Results:

• Women experiencing IPV can attain employment but face significant challenges in maintaining it.
• Entanglement of work and IPV was a common experience, manifesting as financial control, sabotage, and interference.
• Survivors utilized dynamic "unraveling" processes to disentangle work from IPV, leading to improved job security and satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Employment attainment is possible for IPV survivors, but maintenance is hindered by abuse dynamics.
• The "unraveling" process is key for survivors to achieve employment stability and satisfaction.
• Further research and support systems are needed to address IPV's impact on women's employment.