The work of worrying: battered women and their children

Battered women's worries about their children have been reported as significantly influencing their own behaviors, including the decision to leave abusive relationships. The purpose of this study was to describe battered women's worries about their children and their responses to those worries. An ethnography using the method described by Spradley (1979) was conducted. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed two themes about battered women's worries about their children and their responses to those worries. While the abusive adult male was a source of worry, violence outside the home was pervasive and hazardous to children. Battered women's experiences reflect the work of worrying; that is, the constant and energy-depleting nature of this difficult and vitally important process.