Assessing psychological abuse among battered women.

Abstract

While psychological abuse in battered women has been examined in recent years, little is known about it and how it affects battered women. In order to work more effectively with battered women, the effects of psychological abuse need to be understood. This study developed and validated measures of eleven components of psychological abuse plus an overall measure of psychological abuse. Sixty women were recruited through a battered women's program. Thirty battered women in a shelter and thirty in a non-residential program were interviewed in this study, and differences in psychological abuse as well as the effects of the psychological abuse were compared between the two groups of women. All participants were interviewed in person with the interviews lasting approximately an hour and a half. The interviews used open and closed ended questions and also collected demographic data. Women who had previously experienced psychological abuse with a partner reported less psychological abuse with their current partner. Women who had more children reported experiencing significantly more current psychological abuse than women with fewer children. Those women who reported currently experiencing frequent psychological abuse reported being more depressed and having lower self-esteem than women who reported experiencing less. Women with more social support also reported experiencing more frequent psychological abuse. Five kinds of physical abuse significantly affected the current level of psychological abuse. Women in the shelter experienced significantly more of six aspects of psychological abuse, but there were no other significant differences between the two groups. This study validated a measure of psychological abuse and established that psychological abuse has subscales which can be described and measured. Psychological abuse is a common aspect of the relationship battered women have with their partners, and it exists regardless of the physical abuse. Psychological abuse has a detrimental affect on the lives of battered women.