Women Mothers Victims of Violence: Narrations on the Effects upon Children if Exposed

Abstract

The paper discusses women’s narrations on the effects violence against them has upon their children, if exposed, and challenges the women’s consciousness of these effects. Findings concern the first phase results of the VICTIMS project (2009-2011) on violence against women and its effects on their children, which was designed and conducted in four European countries with co-funding obtained by the DAPHNE III programme. The paper particularly discusses the findings that have emerged from a series of seventeen in-depth interviews that were conducted with mothers from Cyprus, who have been victims of intimate partner violence. Data have been analyzed mainly qualitatively. Results indicate that, a) there are different levels of mothers’ consciousness of the negative effects of children’s exposure to violence, b) there are different types of children’s exposure to violence, indicated by mothers, and c) mothers report the way their children are traumatized by being exposed to violence against the mother mostly in terms of behaviour, self-image and school-performance.