How Children and Their Caregivers Adjust After Intimate Partner Femicide
Jennifer L. Hardesty1*,
Jacquelyn C. Campbell2,
Judith M. McFarlane3,
and
Linda A. Lewandowski4
1 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
3 Texas Woman's University, Houston
4 Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hardesty{at}uiuc.edu.
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Abstract |
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Approximately 3,300 children are affected by intimate partner femicide each year. Despite the multitude of stressors and the potential for negative outcomes, little is known about these children or their caregivers. This in-depth interview study used family stress theory to explore caregivers’ and children’s adjustment after intimate partner femicide in 10 families. Data were analyzed qualitatively using framework analysis. Results suggest that children and their caregivers manage numerous health and adjustment challenges in the context of ongoing hardships, resource-poor environments, and continued efforts to come to terms with the loss of their loved one and its effects on their family. Future directions are provided, with a specific focus on family-centered, strengths-based, and advocacy approaches.
