Chapter 1 Adult Daughters of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors: from Childhood Powerlessness to Adult Empowerment
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Abstract
This chapter reports on a qualitative study that addresses the recovery process for adult daughters (N = 15) of intimate partner violence (ipv) survivors. Through the use of the grounded theory method, participants’ recovery was found to include a journey of self-discovery (starting with childhood in a violent home) often characterized by confusion and undeserved guilt, always distinguished by powerlessness, to a state of personal power and the possibility of choice (in adulthood). Three progressive, yet not mutually exclusive, stages were germane to transforming childhood powerlessness into adult empowerment: deconstruction of childhood beliefs, reformation of childhood misperceptions, and transcendence of childhood experiences. Implications for helping professionals and adult daughters of abuse survivors include providing a conceptual framework to better understand the positive changes individuals make to recover from childhood exposure to domestic violence.