Abstract
BACKGROUND
In the US a woman is beaten or abused every nine seconds, while about four million children witness domestic violence yearly. Previous research on survivor-parent–child group therapy is effective at targeting parenting skills to help prevent future abuse, decreasing harmful child behaviors, and allowing survivors to develop a higher self-esteem. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the “In This Together” program (ITT), to understand how the program is impacting the survivor-parent-child relationship, and empowering domestic violence survivors in Marin County, CA.
METHODS
Data was collected using a mixed methods approach including questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews. ITT was implemented for two cohorts over two 10 weeks sessions, each session covered unique clinical benchmarks. Both cohorts included 16 survivors and their children. ITT was administered by licensed therapists once a week via Zoom. After participants completed ITT, a follow-up questionnaire and interview were collected to determine the impact of ITT.
RESULTS
Based on preliminary analysis it is expected that participants will find ITT beneficial to their overall self-esteem and provide a safe space to express emotions with other survivors. From the analysis, several themes have emerged including: successfully dealing with emotions, removing obstacles in the way of making positive change, increasing parenting confidence, and diminishing the power of the abuser.
DISCUSSION
ITT successfully empowered the emotional bond between the survivor-parent and child and decreased the likelihood of repeating the cycle of abuse over the six month study period. The survivor-parent-child bond is essential to maturity, academic success, and emotional well-being of the child. The public health implications of breaking the cycle of abuse are important to understand. In the future, we intend to implement ITT in a number of different clinical therapy settings with diverse populations.
In the US a woman is beaten or abused every nine seconds, while about four million children witness domestic violence yearly. Previous research on survivor-parent–child group therapy is effective at targeting parenting skills to help prevent future abuse, decreasing harmful child behaviors, and allowing survivors to develop a higher self-esteem. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the “In This Together” program (ITT), to understand how the program is impacting the survivor-parent-child relationship, and empowering domestic violence survivors in Marin County, CA.
METHODS
Data was collected using a mixed methods approach including questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews. ITT was implemented for two cohorts over two 10 weeks sessions, each session covered unique clinical benchmarks. Both cohorts included 16 survivors and their children. ITT was administered by licensed therapists once a week via Zoom. After participants completed ITT, a follow-up questionnaire and interview were collected to determine the impact of ITT.
RESULTS
Based on preliminary analysis it is expected that participants will find ITT beneficial to their overall self-esteem and provide a safe space to express emotions with other survivors. From the analysis, several themes have emerged including: successfully dealing with emotions, removing obstacles in the way of making positive change, increasing parenting confidence, and diminishing the power of the abuser.
DISCUSSION
ITT successfully empowered the emotional bond between the survivor-parent and child and decreased the likelihood of repeating the cycle of abuse over the six month study period. The survivor-parent-child bond is essential to maturity, academic success, and emotional well-being of the child. The public health implications of breaking the cycle of abuse are important to understand. In the future, we intend to implement ITT in a number of different clinical therapy settings with diverse populations.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| State | Published - 2022 |
| Event | Annual Meeting of the Society of Epidemiological Research - Chicago, United States Duration: Jun 14 2022 → Jun 17 2022 Conference number: 55 |
Conference
| Conference | Annual Meeting of the Society of Epidemiological Research |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | SER |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Chicago |
| Period | 6/14/22 → 6/17/22 |
Keywords
- Domestic Violence
Disciplines
- Public Health