The strength to move on: A group-based intervention for intimate partner violence survivors battling the lingering effects of intimate partner violence

Description

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains widespread in Sweden (Brå 2021). Research provides insights into how IPV reproduces societal power structures (Eliasson 2011; Kimmel 2002) and how it erodes the victims' opportunities to exercise their human rights and contribute to society (Miller & McCaw 2019). Intimate partner violence often has a long-lasting and severe impact on mental and physical health, and the negative impact remains long beyond the end of the relationship (Campbell 2002; Wood et al. 2018, Zlotnick et al 2006).

Committed professionals and dedicated community actors in the Swedish shelter system have, since the establishment of women’s shelters, provided essential support to victims. However, the available methods are inadequate when it comes to addressing the protracted effects of violence, which in many instances impact the survivors’ ability to live full lives for years. There is a striking lack of development and evaluation of interventions in research and practice that assist individuals affected by IPV in overcoming the long-term effects of violence (Bell & Naugle, 2008; Hameed et al., 2020; Sawin et al., 2017; Whitaker & Lutzker, 2009). This project develops and evaluates a group-based intervention intended for the Swedish shelter sector and aims to strengthen survivors' ability to move on from, and develop positively after having left a violent intimate relationship.

The group-based intervention, organized into six modules, comprises a range of exercises drawn from several established traditions, aimed at influencing key positive aspects of human functioning, and adapted through analyses of the target group's conditions and needs. The project is conducted in collaboration between the research group and Swedish women's shelters. Broadly, the project falls under interdisciplinary intervention research (Mazurek, Melnik, & Morrison-Beedy, 2019), heavily inspired by participatory approaches.

The project addresses the following research questions:

1. What effects does the intervention have on the target group, with respect to the goal of helping IPV survivors to break free from the impact of violence?
2. How can the intervention be integrated into and contribute to the regular operations of women's shelters?

After development and evaluation, the intervention is made available, free of charge, to Swedish women’s shelters. The project's strong partnerships with key stakeholders and practitioners facilitate effective dissemination through the women's shelter sector's channels, ensuring that the intervention reaches the target group even after the funding period.