Mothers’ Post-separation Experiences of Male Partner Abuse: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) involves physical and sexual violence and coercive controlling behaviours to maximise power inequality in abusive relationships. Many women make the decision to exit abusive relationships due to the detrimental impact of IPV on their children. In a qualitative exploration, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 women recruited by purposive and snowballing sampling techniques. Two overarching themes of single mothers’ unique experiences of co-parenting with IPV were revealed through interpretative phenomenological analysis. The first theme was Continuous Victimisation, which indicated that post-separation victimisation was an extension of existing IPV whereby fathers used intimidation, threatening behaviours such as stalking and other monitoring tactics and the deliberate undermining of the mother–child relationship. The second theme identified was Systemic Challenges, indicating how court officials applied a ‘pro-contact’ approach and either minimised or denied mothers’ allegations of IPV and the impact on them and the children. The analysis found a persistent bias against mothers. Implications of the study are discussed before the article concludes that attitudinal change regarding IPV is required by decision makers in court processes with a recognition that abusive men may be unwilling to engage in cooperative parenting that focuses on the children’s developmental, social, emotional, psychological and physical needs.