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Adolescent girls' experience of witnessing marital violence: a phenomenological study
Author(s) -
Bennett Lorna
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2648.1991.tb03433.x
Subject(s) - interpretative phenomenological analysis , psychology , experiential learning , perspective (graphical) , suicide prevention , poison control , developmental psychology , domestic violence , meaning (existential) , injury prevention , clinical psychology , medicine , psychotherapist , qualitative research , sociology , medical emergency , social science , artificial intelligence , computer science , mathematics education
The impact of witnessing marital violence on children and adolescents has only recently come to the attention of family violence researchers. The research emphasis has been on the behavioural effects of exposure to marital violence, with boys from these homes surfacing as the most visible victims. Girls, who some researchers believe show a less visible response, have been a largely neglected group. This phenomenological study explored experiential aspects of exposure to marital violence, focusing on the perspective of five adolescent girls. Data analysis followed the phenomenological method. Seven essential themes that expressed the meaning of this experience for participants were identified. The themes are described and implications for nursing practice and further research are discussed.