Growing Up in a Violent Home: The Lived Experience of Daughters of Battered Women

Abstract

Although children of battered women have received increased attention in recent years, little is known about the lived experience of growing up in a home in which the mother and possibly others are regularly abused. To better understand the family as context, life histories were collected from 10 resilient adult daughters who had grown up in violent homes. This report of the biological, social, cultural, and psychosocial dimensions of their experience reveals lives in which tension, fear, and episodes of violence were pervasive. Although not invulnerable, these daughters of battered women were able to maintain a sense of self and live rewarding lives, despite concerns about stigma and retribution.