Abstract
This study explored the manner in which abused women cope with loneliness. Eighty women, victims of domestic abuse, were compared to 84 women from the general population who have had no history of abusive relationships. A 34-item yes/no loneliness questionnaire was utilized in order to compare the beneficial ways of coping with loneliness in the two samples. The questionnaire is comprised of six factors, namely Reflection and acceptance, Self-development and understanding, Social support network, Distancing and denial, Religion and faith and Increased activity. Results confirmed that abused women, indeed, cope with loneliness differently than the general population does. The abused women scored significantly higher on the Self-development and understanding, Distancing and denial and the Religion and faith subscales.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
R. Andre (1991) Positive Solitude: A Practical Program for Mastering Loneliness and Self-fillment Harper Collins New York
Black, D.: 2004, ‘Brooks case follows tragic pattern’. Toronto Star, p. A22, Aug.27
B. Bergman B. Brismar C. Nordin (1992) ArticleTitle‘Utilisation of medical care by abused women’ British Medical Journal 305 27–34 Occurrence Handle10.1136/bmj.305.6844.27
R. Booth D. Bartlett J. Bohnsock (1992) ArticleTitle‘An examination of the relationship between happiness, loneliness, and shy men in college students’ Journal of College Student Development 33 157–162
J.C. Campbell (2002) ArticleTitle‘Health consequences of intimate partner violence’ Lancet 359 IssueID9314 1331–1336 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08336-8
M. Cascardi J. Langhinrichsen D. Vivian (1992) ArticleTitle‘Marital aggression. Impact, injury, and health correlates for husbands and wives’ Archives of Internal Medicine 152 1178 Occurrence Handle10.1001/archinte.152.6.1178
A.L. Coker P.H. Smith M.P. Thompson R.E. McKeown L. Bethea K.E. Davis (2002) ArticleTitle‘Social support protects against the negative effects of partner violence on mental health’ Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine 11 IssueID5 465–476 Occurrence Handle10.1089/15246090260137644
C.E. Cutrona (1982) ‘Transition to college: Loneliness and the process of social adjustment’ L.A. Peplau D. Perlman (Eds) Loneliness: A Sourcebook of Current Theory, Research and Therapy Wiley – Interscience New York 291–309
S.F. Davis H. Hanson R. Edson C. Ziegler (1992) ArticleTitle‘The relationship between optimism-pessimism, loneliness, and levels of self-esteem in college students’ College Student Journal 26 244–247
M. Dutton-Douglas D. Dionne (1991) ‘Counseling and shelter services for battered women’ M. Steinman (Eds) Women Battering: Policy Responses Anderson Pub Cincinnati, Ohio
S.F. Dziegielewski C. Resnick N. Krause (1996) ‘Shelter-based crisis intervention with battered women’ A.R. Roberts (Eds) Helping Battered Women: New Perspectives and Remedies Oxford University Press New York 159–171
J.M. Ernst J.T. Cacioppo (1999) ArticleTitle‘Lonely hearts: Psychological perspectives on loneliness’ Applied and Preventative Psychology 8 1–22 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0962-1849(99)80008-0
D.C. Finamore (2000) ArticleTitle‘The relationship of learned helplessness, hardiness, and depression in married abused women’ Dissertation Abstract International, Section B 60 IssueID11–B 5770
L. Goodman L. Bennet M.A. Dutton (1999) ArticleTitle‘Obstacles to victims’ cooperation with the criminal prosecution of their abusers: The role of social support’ Violence and Victims 14 IssueID4 427–444
R.O. Hansson Jones (1986) ArticleTitle‘Loneliness and adjustment to old age’ International Journal of Aging and Human Development 24 41–53
Health Canada: 1990, ‘Wife Abuse’ (Health Canada, The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence)
B. Houskamp D. Foy (1991) ArticleTitle‘The assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder in battered women’ Journal of Interpersonal Violence 5 IssueID1 1–13
W.H. Jones J. Rose D. Russell (1990) ‘Loneliness and social anxiety’ H. Leitenberg (Eds) Handbook of Social and Evaluation Anxiety Plenum New York 247–266
E. Mazur Abel (2000) ArticleTitle‘Psychosocial treatments for battered women: A review of empirical research’ Research on Social Work Practice 10 IssueID1 55–77
B.T. McWhirter (1990) ArticleTitle‘Loneliness: A review of current literature with implications for counselling and research’ Journal of Counselling and Development 68 417–423
H. Medora J.C. Woodward (1986) ArticleTitle‘Loneliness among adolescent college students at a mid-western university’ Adolescence 21 391–402
S.E. Mockler (2000) ArticleTitle‘Shelters as an intervention strategy for abused women’ Dissertation Abstracts International 60 IssueID8-B0 4238
R.L. Nabi J.R. Horner (2001) ArticleTitle‘Victims with voices: How abused women conceptualise the problem of spousal abuse and implications for intervention and prevention’ Journal of Family Violence 16 IssueID3 237–253 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1011134231804
J.E. Onyskiw (2001) ArticleTitle‘Research on violence and abuse in Canada: Challenges and opportunities’ Canadian Journal of Nursing Research 32 IssueID4 117–124
S.B. Plichta C. Abraham (1996) ArticleTitle‘Violence and gynaecologic health in women 50 years old’ American Journal of Obstetric Gynaecology 174 903 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0002-9378(96)70323-X
P.A. Ratner (1993) ArticleTitle‘The incidence of wife abuse and mental health status in abused wives in Edmonton, Alberta’ Canadian Journal of Public Health 84 IssueID4 246–249
R.E. Riggio K.P. Watring B. Throckmorton (1993) ArticleTitle‘Social skills, social support, and psychosocial adjustment’ Personality and Individual Differences 15 275–308 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0191-8869(93)90217-Q
A. Rokach (1990) ArticleTitle‘Surviving and coping with loneliness’ Journal of Psychology 124 39–54
A. Rokach H. Brock (1998) ArticleTitle‘Coping with loneliness’ The Journal of Psychology 132 IssueID1 107–127 Occurrence Handle10.1080/00223989809599269
A. Rokach H. Brock (1997) ArticleTitle‘Loneliness: a multidimensional experience’ Psychology: A Journal of Human Behaviour 34 IssueID1 1–9
A. Rokach M. Sharma (1996) ArticleTitle‘The loneliness experience in cultural context’ Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality 11 IssueID4 827–839
K.S. Rook (1988) ‘Toward a more differentiated view of loneliness’ S. Duck (Eds) Handbook of Personal Relationships: Theory, Research and Intervention Wiley Toronto 571–589
D. Russell C.E. Cutrona J. Rose K. Yurko (1984) ArticleTitle‘Social and emotional loneliness: An examination of Weiss’ typology of loneliness’ Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 46 IssueID6 1313–1321 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0022-3514.46.6.1313
Statistic Canada: 2003, ‘Family Violence in Canada’. (Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics)
Verma, S.: 2004, ‘Portrait of anger and abuse’. Toronto Star, p. 1, Aug 28
H. Vincenzi F. Grabosky (1987) ArticleTitle‘Measuring the emotional/social aspects of loneliness and isolation’ Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality 2 IssueID2 257–270
L.E. Walker (1999) ArticleTitle‘Psychology and domestic violence around the world’ American Psychologist 54 IssueID1 21–29 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0003-066X.54.1.21
P.A. West R. Kellner M. Moore-West (1986) ArticleTitle‘The effect of loneliness: A review of the literature’ Comprehensive Psychiatry 27 351–363 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0010-440X(86)90011-8
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Arokach, A. Alienation and Domestic Abuse: How Abused Women Cope with Loneliness. Soc Indic Res 78, 327–340 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-1603-x
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-1603-x