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Abstract
Research suggests that a lack of financial resources contributes to victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) both remaining in and returning to abusive intimate relationships. Requesting financial assistance via crowdfunding has emerged as a new alternative for victims of IPV to access financial assistance. Therefore, our study explores how victims of IPV frame requests for financial assistance via the crowdfunding website GoFundMe.com. We qualitatively analyze a sample of 27 women’s requests. We find that victims of IPV may internalize the stigma of seeking assistance and therefore actively work to redefine their character in a positive manner. We also discover that victims’ requests speak to guidelines reflected in aid-based organizations and to judgments they anticipate facing when requesting help from informal social ties. Our findings suggest that seeking financial assistance through crowd funding may reflect similar challenges of accessing help through more traditional avenues.
Disclosure statement
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Monica Bixby Radu
Monica Bixby Radu is an assistant professor of sociology at Southeast Missouri State University in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology. Some of her research interests include intimate partner violence, school safety, bullying, family and school social capital, and juvenile delinquency.
Lisa McManus
Lisa McManus is a doctoral candidate at North Carolina State University in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Her dissertation research explores how online reviews shape consumption and production. Some of her other research interests include service work, online reviews, and health risk behaviors.