Journal of Sociology and Social Work

Public and Intimate Lives from the Perspectives of Adult Daughters of Abused Women
Kim M. Anderson, PhD; Esteban L. Santis, PhD

Abstract
Knowledge about intimate partner violence depends on what perpetrators and survivors make public. There is rarely a window into the privacy of the family from the viewpoint of child witnesses. Through purposive sampling and the grounded theory method, this qualitative study aimed to discover the intersectionality of power, gender, and intimate partner violence (IPV) from adult daughters' perspectives (N = 68) who, during childhood, witnessed the abuse of their mothers by their step/fathers. Thematic data analysis revealed three psychosocial processes supporting male power and control toward intimate female partners: 1) coercive duality of public and private personas, 2) coercive normative order in the household, and 3) coercive control rooted in childhood household disorder. This study's findings underscore the importance of addressing partner violence as a community-wide affliction rather than an intimate issue.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jssw.v9n1a1