Lived Experiences of Protection Orders among Women Survivors of Domestic Violence

Abstract

This study examines women’s experiences with domestic violence and receiving a protection order based on fourteen semi-structured interviews with women survivors in Türkiye. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 women survivors who obtained protection orders in Türkiye. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used. The phenomenological analysis revealed two major themes: (a) silence with being blamed and (b) the process of protection orders. While women were able to identify the reasons for violence, such as their partners’ anger and tolerance of violence, they mostly only used the protection order when the level of violence and abuse was unbearable and life-threatening. We discuss how women can protect themselves before their lives become threatening. This study suggests that policymakers and human services should consider protecting women survivors’ well-being both during and after receiving protection orders.

Keywords:

• Domestic violence
• male violence
• protection order
• women survivors

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to the participants who attended the interviews and took part of this research. Special thanks to the support of the Violence Prevention and Monitoring Center (VPMC), part of the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services in Bartın within Ministry of Family and Social Services. We also thank to the partial support of the TÜBİTAK undergraduate student fellows; Aslıhan Demir, Emine Eker from the Psychology Department and master student Mustafa Toran from the Psychological Counselling and Guidance at Bartın University.

Additional information

Funding

This empirical research was a part of the project of “The Implementation of Healthy and Respectful Relationship Program” was funded by TÜBİTAK (Turkish Scientific and Technical Council) between 2021 and 2023. The award number was 121K732.