Intimate Partner Violence:

Building Resilience with Families and Children

Thomasine T. Wortham
Intimate partner violence is a social epidemic traumatizing families and children.
A strength-based perspective can help overcome the consequences of this experience.

ntimate partner violence includes

physical, emotional, or sexual
maltreatment from an intimate
partner that may include name-calling, hitting, controlling behaviors,
use of weapons, rape, intimidation,
and a plethora of other physical and
emotional tactics (Kress, Protivnak,
& Sadlak, 2008; United States Department of Justice, 2013). Such acts
can have severe consequences such
as premature deaths, increased homicide rates, psychological trauma,
and psychological and physiological
health problems (ABA, 2010; Fantuzzo & Fusco, 2007; Lichtenstein &
Johnson, 2009; Paranjape & Kaslow,
2010).
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is
a devastating social epidemic and
a major public health threat (Catalano, Smith, Snyder, & Rand, 2009;
Daugherty & Houry, 2008). This
abuse threatens the well-being of
countless individuals across all ethnic groups and socio-economic levels and occurs disproportionately in
the African American community
(Bent-Goodley, 2005; Williams, Oliver, & Pope, 2008).
A large body of research confirms
the severity of the IPV problem in
the United States and in the African
American community in particular.
However, resilience is known to enable survivors and children to overcome the negative outcomes of this
social ill (Howell, Graham-Bermann,

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Czyz, & Lilly, 2010; van den Bosse & McGinn, 2009;
Williams, Oliver, & Pope, 2008; Wortham, 2013). In
light of this knowledge, this article highlights the
importance of recognition, promotion, and activation of resilience as strategies for strengthening families affected by IPV.
A large percentage of violent incidents erupt
while children are present (Fantuzzo & Fusco,
2007). Their exposure includes visually or audibly witnessing the act or observing evidence of
the violence after the
fact (Fantuzzo & Mohr,
1999; Holden, 2003).
Survey results show that
50% of the events reported occurred in the
presence of children.
Knutson and colleagues
(2009) posited that exposure rates are underestimated, and Fantuzzo and Fusco (2007) reported that children under
six years of age living in single parent, non-White,
impoverished homes are most likely to witness
this violence.

Research about resilience has evolved through several stages (Masten, 2014). Early research saw resilience as traits of supposedly invulnerable youth.
However, it is now apparent that the process of
coping with challenge is part of the ordinary magic
of human development and is heavily dependent
upon support from the environment. Thus, there is
a two-way relationship between the person and the
environment which accounts for resilience (Waller,
2001). Along with the benefits associated with resilience, Waller cautions that the presence of resilience does not nullify
risk factors, and protective factors are essential
for positive adaptation.

There is a two-way relationship

between the person and the
environment which accounts
for resilience.

Resilience in Families and Children

While considerable literature describes detrimental effects of household violence on childrens development, research is scant on how to activate
the buoyancy of exposed children (Meltzer et al.,
2009). In recent years, there has been a shift toward a more strength-based perspective (Heugten
& Wilson, 2008; Khaw & Hardesty, 2007). This
does not negate the damaging effects of violence
exposure but acknowledges the resilience of many
survivors and children in the face of such adversity (van den Bosse & McGinn, 2009). Thus, it is
useful to explore why certain children thrive in
the face of this adversity.
Howell and colleagues (2010) depicted resilience
as the ability to display healthy social interaction, optimism, and emotional control. In like
manner, Kuijpers, van der Knapp, and Lodewijks
(2011) presented resilience as coping, adapting
to serious life events, and recovering successfully from severe life situations. Such children
demonstrate buoyancy after exposure to IPV
(Suzuki, Geffner, & Bucky, 2008). The various
definitions of resilience reflect the need to consider contextual variables such as age, gender,
and race (Tummala-Narra, 2007).

Wortham (2013) conducted research on

the African American
women survivors of
IPV who permanently
leave abusive relationships. That study focused on the perspectives of 10
mental health practitioners on the qualities of resilience displayed by this cohort. Semi-structured
interviews revealed that family influence, hope,
self-esteem, empowerment, and turning points
were major themes related to resilience. Family
influence surfaced as the overarching theme in
resilient coping, particularly strong mothers, and
positive male role models. A noteworthy impression of participants in this study is that resilience
can be a learned behavior that results from hearing survival narratives of ancestors connected to
the slavery experience. Thus, understanding resilience involves not only the individual but the
quality of relationships in all ecological systems,
especially the family unit (Bronfenbrenner, 1994;
Darling, 2007).
To draw out the resilience of survivors and children, it is necessary to address both internal and
external factors (Tusaie & Dyer, 2004). Specifically this includes personal beliefs, humor, optimism, intelligence, and social skills. But resilience is also heavily dependent upon external
factors such as mental health of parents, parenting stress, and family environment (MartinezTorteya, Bogat, von Eye, & Levendosky, 2009;
Owen, Kaslow, & Thompson, 2006). Programs
providing culturally sensitive services to families and children who are at risk can reduce risk
factors (Bent-Goodley, 2005; Gewirtz & Edleson,
2007).

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Building Strengths
Participants in the Wortham (2013) research
noted distinct coping processes accompanying
the emergence of resilience including (a) disclosure of the violence, (b) positive narratives
that indicate hope, (c) letting go of denial, (d)
commitment to self, (e) self-efficacy, (f) cultural
values, and (g) education/employment. When
helping professionals note the presence of these
factors, interventions that enhance these traits
can boost resilience.
Worthams (2013) study showed that the presence of children often creates turning points to
motivate survivors to permanently leave abusers.
When survivors become aware of the danger to
children, or when the children themselves begin to display violence, resilient coping often
emerges in the mother. Thus, intervention can
combine education and social support that helps
survivors achieve resilient outcomes. Danielson,
Lucas, Malinowski, and Pittman (2009) developed a model that included parenting classes,
individual counseling, church support groups,
nutrition education, support at court hearings,
and prevention programs. Such comprehensive
intervention models assist survivors in negotiating turning points and empower them to set in
motion the resilience required to protect self and
exposed children.

Understanding resilience
involves not only the individual
but the quality of relationships
in all ecological systems,
especially the family unit.
Other factors work against resilience including
psychological damage and the lack of resources
such as housing and transportation; this explains
why greater than 50% of IPV survivors return to
abusive relationships (Ham-Rowbottom, Gordon,
Jarvis, & Novaco, 2005). Thus, helping professionals should be aware of community resources
to provide supportive services for these families,
including faith-based programs (Danielson et al.,
2009) that operate from a strength-based rather
than deficit mindset.
Prior to the last two decades, research related to intimate partner violence reflected a deficit perspective
(Heugten & Wilson, 2008; Khaw & Hardesty, 2007).

Focusing on the construct of resilience advances

a non-pathological approach for exploring IPV
while recognizing the buoyancy of exposed children (Morrow, 2007). In reality, individuals subjected to intimate partner violence are amazingly
resilient and courageous as evidenced by their
ability to negotiate the dangers associated with
this traumatic experience. Therefore, helping professionals focus on the robust characteristics of clients rather than on weaknesses.

Thomasine T. Wortham, MSW, ACSW, LMSW,

PhD, is founder and director of Grace Counseling
Services, Flint, Michigan. She may be contacted at
twortham@capellauniversity.edu
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