Segmented journeys, fragmented lives: women’s forced migration to escape domestic violence

Author:
Janet Christine Bowstead Royal Holloway University of London, UK

Search for other papers by Janet Christine Bowstead in
Current site
Google Scholar
Close
Restricted access
Get eTOC alerts
Rights and permissions Cite this article

Women's journeys to escape domestic violence can be understood as an active strategy to achieve safety and as forced migration during which women experience force from the abuser and the impact of agencies and authorities. This article explores the diverse trajectories of individual women's journeys from abuse, drawing on a mixed methods research project within the UK. It involved analysis and mapping of six years of administrative data from housing-related support services, interviews with 20 women in seven locations in the Midlands, Southern England and London, groupwork with nine women in the Midlands and South Coast, surveys with 34 women in domestic violence services and on 267 calls to the National Domestic Violence Helpline, and interviews with workers in services in eight locations. Drawing on 20 women's narratives and journey graphs over time and distance, it presents details of three women's journeys to illustrate how complex, segmented journeys are often made more fragmented by aspects of policy and practice. More effective responses could mean that women and children only make the journeys that are strictly necessary, and are more smoothly and swiftly able to move to where they can settle and rebuild their fragmented lives.

Janet Christine Bowstead Royal Holloway University of London, UK

Search for other papers by Janet Christine Bowstead in
Current site
Google Scholar
Close

Content Metrics

May 2022 onwards Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 918 367 7
Full Text Views 64 11 0
PDF Downloads 83 16 0

Altmetrics

Dimensions