An investigation into the intergenerational transmission of psychological intimate partner violence

The main aim of the current thesis was to investigate psychosocial factors surrounding psychological intimate partner violence and its intergenerational transmission among young women. Accordingly, the experiences of young women exposed to psychological violence from their intimate partners and whose mothers were also subjected to psychological violence were examined from a clinical psychology perspective. A qualitative study was conducted to achieve this aim. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven young women, and obtained data were analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results suggested six super-ordinate themes across seven cases. These superordinate themes were (1) Simultenous presence of physical and psychological abuse, (2) "Feeling trapped": Gradual depletion of psychosocial resources as a consequence of psychological violence, (3) Self-harming as a self-defense, (4) "Better than my father": Preference for love and commitment over safety, (5) Possible routes of intergenerational transmission of violence, (6) Need for empowering mental health services. Findings were discussed in relation to literature with particular suggestions for psychosocial prevention and intervention programs.