This article explores the authors’ practice observations of female domestic violence survivors’journey fromfirst agency contact to active participation in a support group process. The authors have witnessed female victims of domestic violence challenging the social isolation imposed by their dominant partners as they search for meaning in their lives. As practitioners, they have observed women building trustful relationships and establishing supportive networks during the group process. In this article, the authors suggest that the support group process facilitates trust and network formation indicative of social capital.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abu-Lughod, L. (1995). A community of secrets: The separate world of Bedouin women. In M. Friedman &P. A. Weiss (Eds.), Feminism and community (pp. 21-44). Philadelphia: Temple University Press .
2.
Aleman, A. (1997). Understanding and investigating female friendship’s educative value . Journal of Higher Education, 68(2), 119-159 .
3.
Anderson, S. R., &Hopkins, P. (1991). The feminine face of God: The unfolding of the sacred in women. New York: Bantam Books .
4.
Aries, E. J., & Johnson, F. L. (1983). The talk of women friends . Women’s Studies International Forum, 6(4), 353-361 .
5.
Becker, C. S. (1987). Friendship between women: A phenomenological study of best friends . Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 18, 59-72 .
6.
Berk, A., Newton, P., & Berk, S. (1986). What a difference a day makes: An empirical study of the impact of shelters for battered women . Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 481-490 .
7.
Bourdieu, P. (1985). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241-258). New York: Greenwood .
8.
Bowker, L. H. (1984). Coping with wife abuse: Personal and social networks. In A. Roberts (Ed.), Battered women and their families (pp. 168-191). New York: Springer .
9.
Browne, A. (1987). When battered women kill. New York: Macmillan .
10.
Caplan, G. (1974). Social support and community mental health. New York: Basic Books .
11.
Cobb, S. (1976). Social support as a moderator of life stress . Psychosomatic Medicine, 38, 300-314 .
12.
Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital . American Journal of Sociology, 94(Suppl.), S94-S120 .
13.
Cummerton, J. (1986). A feminist perspective on research: What does it help us see? In N. Van-DenBergh and L. Cooper (Eds.), Feminist visions for social work (pp. 187-210). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of Social Workers (NASW) .
14.
Davis, L. (1987). Views of wife abuse: Does the research method make a difference? Affilia, 7, 53-66 .
15.
Dobash, R., & Dobash, R. (1998). Violent men and violent contacts. In R. Dobash & R. Dobash (Eds.), Rethinking violence against women (pp. 141-168). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage .
16.
Dobash, R., Dobash, R., &Cavanagh, K. (1985). The contact between battered womenand social and medical agencies. In J. Pahl (Ed.), Private violence and public policy: The needs of battered women and the responses of the public services (pp. 142-165). Boston: Routledge Kegan Paul .
17.
Donato, K., &Bowker, L. (1984). Understanding the help-seeking behavior of battered women: A comparison of traditional service agencies and women’s groups . International Journal of Women’s Studies, 7, 99-109 .
18.
El-Bassel, N., Gilbert, L., Rajah, V., Foleno, A., &Frye, V. (2001). Social support among women in methadone treatment who experience partner violence . Violence Against Women, 7(3), 246-274 .
19.
Gutierrez, L. (1990). Working with women of color: An empowerment perspective . Social Work, 35, 149-153 .
20.
Henson, D., &Schinderman, J. (1980). Therapy with battered women. In A. Weick &S. Vandiver (Eds.), Women, power, and change (pp. 27-37). Washington, DC: NASW .
21.
Hilberman, E., & Munson, K. (1977-1978). Sixty battered women . Victimology, 2, 460-470 .
22.
Hirschmann, A. O. (1984). Getting ahead collectively: Grassroots experiences in Latin America. New York: Pergamon .
23.
Holiman, M., &Schilit, R. (1991). Aftercare for battered women: How to encourage the maintenance of change . Psychotherapy, 28(2), 345-353 .
24.
Katz, A., & Bender, E. (Eds.). (1976). The strength in us: Self-help groups in the modern world. New York: Franklin Watts .
25.
Knight, J. (1992). Institutions and social conflict. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press .
26.
Larance, L. Y. (2001). Fostering social capital through NGOdesign: Grameen Bank membership in Bangladesh . International Social Work, 44(1), 7-18 .
27.
Mancoske, R., Standifer, D., &Cauley, C. (1994). The effectiveness of brief counseling services for battered women . Research on Social Work Practice, 4(1), 53-63 .
28.
Mitchell, R. E., &Hodson, C. A. (1983). Coping with domestic violence: Social support and psychological health among battered women . American Journal of Community Psychology, 11, 629-654 .
29.
National Association of Social Workers Delegate Assembly. (1996). NASW Code of Ethics . Encyclopedia of Social Work (19th ed.; Suppl.), 371-385 .
30.
Noddings, N., & Witherell, C. (1991). Stories lives tell: Narrative and dialogue in education. New York: Teachers College Press .
31.
North, D. (1990). Institutions, institutional change, and economic performance. New York: Cambridge University Press .
32.
Portes, A. (1998). Social capital: Its origins and applications in modern sociology . Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 1-24 .
33.
Putnam, R. (1993, Spring). The prosperous community: Social capital and public life . American Prospect, 13, 35-42 .
34.
Putnam, R. (1995). Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital . Journal of Democracy, 6(1), 65-78 .
35.
Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. NewYork: Basic Books .
36.
Raymond, J. G. (1986). A passion for friends: Toward a philosophy of female affection. Boston: Beacon .
37.
Rothman, S. M. (1978). Women’s proper place: A history of changing ideals and practices, 1870 to present. New York: Basic Books .
38.
Rubin, A. (1991). The effectiveness of outreach counseling and support groups for battered women: A preliminary evaluation . Research on Social Work Practice, 1(4), 332-357 .
39.
Scott, J. (1991). Social network analysis. A handbook. London: Sage .
40.
Tan, C., Basta, J., Sullivan, C., & Davidson, W. (1995). The role of social support in the lives of womenexiting domestic violence shelters . Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10, 437-451 .
41.
Tutty, L., Bidgood, B., & Rothery, M. (1993). Support groups for battered women: Research on their efficacy . Journal of Family Violence, 8(4), 325-343 .
42.
Tutty, L., Bidgood, B., & Rothery, M. (1996). Evaluating the effect of group process and client variables in support groups for battered women . Research on Social Work Practice, 6(3), 308-324 .
43.
Wilson, M., &Daly, M. (1996). Male sexual proprietariness and violence against wives . Current Directions in Psychological Science, 5, 2-7 .
44.
Wrong, D. (1996). The problem of order: What unites and divides society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press .
45.
Wuthnow, R. (1994). Sharing the journey: Support groups and America’s new quest for community. New York: Free Press .
