The postseparation psychological recovery of domestic abuse survivors

Abstract

Most research on the separation of women from abusive partners focuses on the predictors of leaving and the nature the leaving process in the short term, especially the cognitive and emotional changes prior to leaving. In this chapter we focus on the psychological recovery of battered women after they leave – recovery both immediately and over a longer period of time. Such information is essential because a woman’s need for protection from further abuse, for practical assistance, and for other forms of intervention do not usually end when she leaves an abusive partner. Indeed, such needs are likely to increase.