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PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES OF WITNESSING
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN BATTERED WOMEN
Griffing, S., Lewis, C.S., Chu, M. Sage, R.E., Madry,
L. & Primm, B.J.
Urban Resource Institute/Urban Women's Retreat, Brooklyn,
New York (2002)
Many battered women have a history of witnessing domestic
violence. We examined battered women's perceptions of
their cognitive and emotional reactions to past exposure
to domestic violence, and the extent to which the impact
varied according to the relation to the domestic violence
victim. In this pilot study, participants who witnessed
the abuse of a maternal figure (n=47), compared to a peer
(n=43), were less likely to report empathy for the victim,
reported increased tolerance for violence, and were less
likely to seek support from the victim. Clinical implications
of the findings will be discussed. |
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