Transformation of the identity of homeless women with an experience of domestic violence: changing from a victim to a survivor: an example from shelters for mothers in the Czech Republic

ABSTRACT

The objective of this article is to analyse the situation of transformation of a victim’s identity into a survivor’s identity in mothers living in a shelter in Czech Republic. Domestic violence and commonly associated homelessness can be a very traumatic experience affecting the identity of homeless mothers. To understand victimological concept of reframing a victim into a survivor, we used analysis of data collected in qualitative participative research with 33 single mothers living with their children in shelters. The data shows that changing a victim’s identity to a survivor’s identity is realised in four stages that include: (1) the narratives of silence, (2) the narratives of total silence, (3) the narratives of transformation, and (4) the narratives of self-transcendence. An important element in the process of identity transformation is the relationship with the social worker. The results of the research are discussed in terms of relational psychoanalysis.

KEYWORDS:

• Homeless women
• domestic violence
• victim
• survivor
• homeless shelter

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Legislation that would define social housing is still lacking in Czech Republic. The tools for addressing exclusion from housing are regulated in the Social Services Act No. 108/2006 Coll. with one of them being the shelters. ‘Shelters provide temporary residential services to persons in an unfavourable social situation associated with the loss of housing’.The Social Services Act 108/2006 also stipulates that ‘such persons pay a fee for the provision of social services in shelters…’. The stay in a homeless shelter is limited in time, most frequently for a period of one year.

2. The questions were defined as very open, thematically focused on the life story of the communication partner, her perception of her stay in a homeless shelter and perception of the shelter in the process of reintegration into permanent forms of housing.

3. A certain attachment arises within the ‘survival instinct and search for proximity to a caregiver’. An insecure attachment is developed when the caregiver’s behaviour is inconsistent or evasive in relation to the child. The development of children with an insecure attachment is often impaired in one or more developmental domains (physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and moral) (Winnicott, 1986).

4. The paper does not aim to map out the attachment of clients prior to their domestic violence experience, as examined by Kuijpers, Van der Knaap, and Winkel (2012) in their research. In accordance with the above authors, however, it agrees with the statement that insecure relationship may be considered in some cases to be a certain predictive element in relation to another potential re-victimisation.

5. Reflexivity can be seen in this context as a process of viewing social and cultural artefacts and forms of thinking that saturate the practice of helping professions from outside, and systematic questioning of processes that make sense to the world (Ferguson, 2003).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Grantová Agentura České Republiky [18-10233S].

Notes on contributors

Kateřina Glumbíková

Mgr. et Mgr. Kateřina Glumbíková, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Social Studies of the University of Ostrava. In her dissertation she dealt with the topic of Reintegration of Single Mothers Living in Shelters; she is currently studying the topic Critical Reflexivity in Field Social Work with Family.

Alice Gojová

Doc. PhDr. Alice Gojová, Ph.D. is an associate professor in Social Work at the Faculty of Social Studies of the University of Ostrava. In teaching and research, she is involved in community social work and social work with families.