BJSW Advance Access published online on July 7, 2009
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcp080
More Responsibilities, Less Control: Understanding the Challenges and Difficulties Involved in Mothering in the Context of Domestic Violence
Simon Lapierre is a postdoctoral research fellow at the School of Social Work, Université de Montréal. His work has focused on issues such as women's and children's experiences of domestic violence, mothering, child neglect and child protection.
Correspondence to Simon Lapierre, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur la violence familiale et la violence faite aux femmes, École de service social, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada. E-mail: s.lapierre{at}umontreal.ca
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Abstract |
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Limited work has looked specifically at the issue of mothering in the context of domestic violence, and there is a particular dearth of empirical work that focuses on women's experiences of mothering in these circumstances. This article reports the findings of a study that investigated women's experiences of mothering in the context of domestic violence, and is concerned with the challenges and difficulties that abused women face in regard to their mothering. The author argues that these challenges and difficulties arise from the interaction between the particular context created by the violence and the broader institution of motherhood. More specifically, the article focuses on the following two elements: the women's increased sense of responsibility in regard to their children and their loss of control over their mothering. The findings suggest that in order to support these women, professionals need to understand the challenges and difficulties that they face, and to be mindful not to exacerbate the women's sense of responsibility and loss of control.
Keywords: Domestic violence, mothering, motherhood