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Published on: April 18, 2011
Trauma, Power, and Intimate Relationships Among Women in Prison
Heather L McCauley1, Fallon Richie2, Sara Hughes2
1Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Abstract:
The present study, which included four focus groups of women (n = 21) in four New England prisons, aimed to understand how power impacted women's relationships, exposure to violence, and health. Women described power in three ways: (a) power as control over their sexuality and their sexual partners, (b) power emerging from emotional strength, and (c) power referring to a process of empowerment. Women's perceptions and experiences of power were informed by their trauma histories and influenced their sexual behavior and health. Our findings provide a framework for considering incarcerated women's experiences of power in trauma-informed interventions for this marginalized population.
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