Sense of coherence in women - victims of domestic violence

The article discusses the issue of personality changes observed in women who are victims of long-term domestic violence. The research study demonstrates that women who are victims of long-term domestic violence are characterised by a low sense of coherence, which manifests itself as a low sense of meaningfulness, manageability and comprehensibility with respect to their personal situation. The empirical research was based on a paradigm, according to which the sense of coherence is the basic personality dimension having a significant impact on how one copes in new, difficult and uncertain situations. The research program involved a total of 56 women from Lublin Voivodeship. The domestic violence group comprised women who had been victims of domestic violence and who had sought individual consultations at the Crisis Intervention Centre. The control group consisted of women who had never experienced domestic violence in their life and who came from the same environments as the victims of abuse. Presented in the development of diagnostic tests, including the data contained in the case study, showed woman-victim of domestic violence as a person with fragile self-esteem and sense of coherence. Picture of women experiencing domestic violence outlined in accordance with the provisions of the concept of Antonovsky indicates no comprehensibility for their conduct, low sense of manageability and meaningfulness in terms of themes. Victims also have a tendency to perceive available personal, social or material resources as insufficient to meet the requirements which result from specific life situations.