Surviving strangulation : exploring the narratives of victim survivors lived experiences : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Abstract

A growing body of research supports the standing of strangulation as dangerous form of intimate partner violence (IPV) which can result in serious physical, neuropsychological and psychological consequences for surviving victims. While informative, existing research has not yet examined how strangulation within IPV can impact victim survivors’ wider wellbeing and functioning beyond the immediate pain, suffering and fear experienced within the initial act. The purpose of this research was to explore victim survivors’ lived experiences to gain understanding of the potential consequences of strangulation beyond a one-dimensional list of signs, symptoms, and impairments. In particular, the impact strangulation had on victim survivors' understandings of violence, their relationships, and their identities, along with the meanings attached to those experiences, was of interest in this research. In recognising that decisions in clinical practice are shaped by the nuances of an individual’s context and experiences, a case-based narrative approach was used with the aim to generate practical clinical knowledge and responses to what is a complex social issue. The use of a case-based narrative approach also aimed to produce findings that both honoured and humanised the complexities, idiosyncrasies and nuances of the lived experiences of victim survivors. Two victim survivors, Sarah and Ria, participated in in-depth semi structured interviews. Strangulation was storied by these women as an escalation in the level of violence experienced and had complex, dynamic and interrelated consequences which rippled throughout their lives. For Sarah and Ria, strangulation was storied as a transgression of the ideals that framed their relationships and conceptualisations of family. Strangulation became not just a mechanism of coercive control but an embodied experience of loss of power, agency, and identity. Moreover, the act of strangulation was revealed to have escalated in intensity, frequency, and the context in which it is used - an important finding for the assessment and management of IPV risk. In response to the escalation of strangulation Sarah and Ria’s dynamic efforts to survive and perform acts of resistance emerged, which challenged characterisations of victimhood. Deepening the understanding of how strangulation impacts victim survivors has important implications for clinical practice, such as highlighting potential areas to focus therapeutic interventions on like identity, autonomy and bodily connection. Furthermore, this research highlights how professionals can support victim survivors through introducing and enabling alternative narratives which challenge dominant narratives of victimhood.