Dating violence, a serious social problem, has commanded much attention during the last decade. This study was conducted to enhance our understanding of complex relationship and individual processes that occur in dating relationships where abuse becomes a pattern. The experiences of 11 young women who left their abusive dating relationships were analyzed using the tenets of grounded theory in a multiple-case qualitative research design. Processes of leaving included: seeds of doubt, turning points, reappraisals, objective reflections, self-reclaiming actions, last straw events and paradigmatic shifts.
Ferraro, K.J. & Johnson, J.M. (1983) `How Women Experience Battering: The Process of Victimization', Social Problem30(3): 325-339.
2.
Glaser, B.G. & Strauss, A.L. (1967) The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
3.
Levesque-Lopman, L. (1988) Claiming Reality. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
4.
Lloyd, S.A. , Koval, J.E. & Pittman, J.F. (1987) `Violence in Intimate Relationships: The Role of Individual versus Relationship Factors', paper presented at the annual conference of the National Council on Family Relations, Atlanta, GA, November.
5.
Makepeace, J.M. (1981) `Courtship Violence among College Students', Family Relations30: 97-102.
6.
Mills, T. (1985) `The Assault on the Self: Stages in Coping with Battering Husbands', Qualitative Sociology8(2): 103-123.
7.
Pirog-Good, M. & Stets, J. (1989) `The Help-seeking Behavior of Physically and Sexually Abused College Students', in M.A. Pirog-Good & J.E. Stets (eds) Violence in Dating Relationships. New York: Praeger.
8.
Rosen, K.H. (1992) `The Process of Coping with Dating Violence: A Qualitative Study', unpublished EdD thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia.
9.
Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1990) Basics of Qualitative Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
10.
Sugarman, D.B. & Hotaling, G.T. (1989) `Dating Violence: Prevalence, Context, and Risk Markers', in M.A. Pirog-Good & J.E. Stets (eds) Violence in Dating Relationships. New York: Praeger.
11.
Yin, R.K. (1989) Case Study Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
