Growing Through Adversity: Personal Growth and Recovery from Intimate Partner Abuse

The abuse of women by male partners is a significant social problem. Ample research describes the negative long-term consequences of intimate partner abuse, but less is available on positive outcomes. Data from in-depth interviews with ten New Zealand women proposes ?Growing Through Adversity? as the basic psycho-social process of women?s recovery from abusive relationships. Grounded Theory methods identify three inter-related core categories with five phases spanning the relationship duration until at least two years after separation. Recovery included the development of self-constructed values and making meaning of the abusive relationship experience. Theories of adult development and trauma recovery explain participant perceptions of personal growth. Discussion explores the coping strategies of women with abusive partners, clarifies the changing purpose of seeking help, identifies dynamics of victim-blaming, and makes comparison with international studies. Growing Through Adversity offers a comprehensive analysis of women?s self-development in the context of intimate partner abuse, and makes recommendations to aid their recovery.