Stigma From Professional Helpers Toward Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

• Published in: Partner abuse Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 157 - 179
• Main Authors: Crowe, Allison, Murray, Christine E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Publishing Company 2015
• Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Content analysis; Counseling; Educational Systems; Friendship; Health Care Services; Law Enforcement; Lawyers; Marriage and Family Counselling; Marriage and Family Education; Partner Abuse; Policy, Social Justice, and Human Rights; Social Work; Stigma; Theory, Practice, and Skills; Victims; intimate partner violence; professional helpers; stigma; domestic violence; professionals
• ISSN: 1946-6560; 1946-6579
• DOI: 10.1891/1946-6560.6.2.157

The authors explored experiences of stigma from professional helpers toward survivors of intimate partner violence in two related studies with a combined sample of 231 participants. Qualitative interview and quantitative survey data were analyzed with content analysis procedures using an a priori coding strategy. Results suggest that survivors felt stigmatized by mental health professionals, attorneys and judges, health care professionals, law enforcement, professionals in the employment or education systems, parenting-related professionals, as well as friends and family. The most frequently occurring stigma categories were feeling dismissed, denied, and blamed. Participants cited the most common sources of stigma occurred from interactions with professionals in the court system and law enforcement officers. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.