Abstract
Despite the attention given to intimate partner abuse, little is understood about the psychological factors that influence women’s decisions about staying in abusive relationships. The current study applied object relations theory to explain the personality development of both victim and abuser stemming from childhood abuse, neglect or abandonment and the development of two defense mechanisms that influence women’s decisions about staying. Using case studies with three women in a private practice setting, the research found that the childhood experiences of the three women included different levels of abuse, and that they all employed the moral and splitting defenses that influenced their decisions about staying. Specific guidelines for intervention are discussed as well as implications for research and policy.
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Hadeed, L. (2021). Why Women Stay: Understanding the Trauma Bond Between Victim and Abuser Case Studies Were Written. In: Bissessar, A.M., Huggins, C. (eds) Gender and Domestic Violence in the Caribbean. Gender, Development and Social Change. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73472-5_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73472-5_12
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