Coping Mechanism, Inspiration, and Aspiration of Women Survivors of Abuse

Abstract

This study explored how women survivors of abuse cope with their perpetrator and the source of their inspirations and aspirations. A semi-structured interview guide was conducted to eight (8) women survivors of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at Haven National Center for Women. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to extract the participants' subjective realities through personal interpretations and the meanings they created out of these experiences. The results showed that the participants were able to cope with the trauma brought about by abuse and to their perpetrator through spiritual guidance, social support, displacement, resilience, and acceptance. Meanwhile, their inspirations are their family, the Supreme Being, the challenges, the purpose-driven life and their vision which played an important meaning in their lives. Furthermore, their aspirations lead to acquire economic security, success in the future, dream of finish education, justice, and freedom.