A Scoping Review on the Coping Strategies Used by Intimate Partner Violence Survivors
Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. Background of Study
1.2. Research Gaps
1.3. Skinner et al. (2003)’s 11 Families of Coping
- Aims of the study
2. Materials and Methods
- Identifying Relevant Studies
- Selection of Eligible Studies
- Charting the Data
- Data Synthesis
- Terminology Clarification
3. Results
3.1. Coping Strategies Used by Survivors
3.2. Measurements Used in IPV Research
3.3. Codes Categorized Under Skinner’s 11 Families of Coping
Original text from article: “I kept saying this can’t be happening, this can’t be real.” Ginny could not believe that her partner was becoming verbally abusive. [denial]
3.4. Other Findings
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
6. Implications
7. Limitations
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
IPV | Intimate Partner Violence |
POTS | Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale |
IPVSI | Intimate Partner Violence Strategies Index |
MARS | Measure of Affect Regulation Styles |
WHO | World Health Organization |
NGO | Non-governmental Organizations |
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Article | Background | Country | Sample | Measurement | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. A Qualitative Analysis of the Coping Strategies of Female Victimization After Separation [16]. | This study investigated the coping strategies IPV survivors in Malaysia used after separating from their partner. | Malaysia | 15 women aged 18 and above | Semi-structured interview | 1. Filling in time: 12 women filled their time to distract them from the stress of their IPV experiences, and engaging in community activities made them feel confident to survive without their husbands. They also felt getting a job would help distract them from facing the stressors at home. 2. Positive thinking: 8 women tried to face their stress and problems with optimism and ignoring their husbands’ disruptions. They also found their children as a source of strength. Many found the strength to continue life after leaving their husbands by considering the needs of their children. 3. Seeking formal services: 2 participants sought the help of formal organizations; one received counseling services from the Islamic Religious Department, while the other went to the Welfare Department to obtain social services that would protect her and her children’s rights. 4. Religion: 6 participants felt that religion provided them with tranquility to them and allowed them to face their problems. 5. Sharing problems through non-formal networks: This referred to informal social support. Most of the participants felt that talking about their experiences to their family or close friends, some who have been victims of IPV, alleviated them of their problems. They also felt confident when they received positive feedback and advice that helped them face challenges, especially after separation. |
2. Experiences of Divorced Women Subject to Domestic Violence in Turkey [17]. | This study examined the experiences of divorced women who experienced IPV in Turkey. | Turkey | 13 women aged 22 to 48 | Semi-structured interview |
Some women received informal social support from neighbors and community. Professional psychologists helped participants in coping.
|
3. Coping Strategies Adopted by Migrant Female Head-load Carriers Who Experienced IPV [18]. | This study examined the coping strategies among head-load carriers in Ghana, a profession which employs migrant women due to their low employable skills. | Ghana | 20 women aged 14 to 23 | Semi-structured interview | Five themes of coping were found from interviewing the participants. Interpersonal coping approach 1. Fighting back: This happened during the early days of the abuse, where the women sought to instill hurt in their partners, which only increased the violence. 2. Apologizing, self-explanation and negotiation: After realizing fighting back made things worse, they tried apologizing or discussing with their partners. While for some, this led to a pause in the abuse that did not last long, for others, although the partner would apologize, the abuse never stopped. Intrapersonal coping/Silence: Silence as a coping mechanism occurred only after most participants used the interpersonal coping strategies and realized they did not work. They sought to reduce the violence and prolong the relationship. 1. Walking out of the house in silence: This was an effective preventive and emotional coping strategy for participants, as they could prevent their partner from physically hurting them. 2. Silence and crying as emotional management: Staying silent did not always prevent the abuse. So some participants used silence as a preventive measure and crying as an emotional outlet which helped them relieve their negative emotions. 3. Silence as culturally motivated: Most participants chose to remain silent about the abuse due to traditional views and stigma about abuse. Their culture viewed abuse as a disgrace because it meant the women did not perform her marital duties well. Socio-personal coping 1. Seeking external advice and support: 9 out of the 20 participants had sought advice or support from a friend, family member or the police. 2. Keeping ties with family and friends: While some participants spoke of how their family and friends were a source of strength, some mentioned how seeking help from outsiders resulted in further complications in the situation. Prayers and hope: After trying many coping strategies, 15 out of 20 participants felt their only hope was God. However, as their religion disproved of divorce, their only option was to stay in the marriage and hoped God would change their partners. Leaving the relationship: Only 5 out of 20 participants left their partners, and they viewed this as a last resort |
4. Coping strategies of women survivors of domestic violence residing with an abusive partner after registered complaint with the family counseling center at Alwar, India [19]. | This study examined the roles informal and formal institutions of justice played in the coping strategies used by women who experienced IPV. | India | 299 married women whose ages ranged from below 20 to above 40. | In-depth interview | Participants initially used coping strategies like “normalizing,” “acceptance,” “denial,” “keeping the peace,” or “blaming themselves.” They tried to be submissive in order to protect themselves from further abuse. They continued using these strategies while trying to find the solution to the abuse, until the situation became too much, which was when they started seeking external help. They isolated themselves from social functions and family members, prayed and wished for miracles. Informal social support was important to participants, especially from their parental family. Having this support allowed women to engage in active coping (strategies were not specified). However in some cases, when the women engaged in active coping, they were not met with support from friends and relatives, as these active coping strategies were not welcome in society. Formal social support referred to support from formal institutions. Researchers note that women must first have support from these formal institutions in order to engage in more cognitive and behavioral coping. Participants who reached out to the MSSK (institution in India protecting DV survivors) had access to authority figures and counselors who provided help and support to the women, and the mental support they received from the MSSK allowed them to engage in more cognitive thinking to appraise their situation. However, some women still chose to remain in the relationship. |
5. The Road to Resilience: Strength and Coping Among Pregnant Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence [20]. | This study examined the experiences of pregnant women who were exposed to IPV, as well as the coping strategies they used. | United States | 56 women with a mean age of 27.63 | Focus groups |
Engaging in avoidance and denial (false hope and substance abuse).
|
6. An Evaluation of a Parent Group for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence [21] | This study examined the experiences of women who participated in a 12-week parent group, who have experienced IPV and had children in the US. | United States | 15 women aged 27 to 48 | Participants completed survey items that were developed for this study, and focused on their perception of support received in the parent group. They were also interviewed as a follow-up. |
Recovery as an ongoing journey that continues over time. |
7. The Mediating Role of Cognitive Processing in the Relationship Between Negative and Positive Effects of Trauma Among Female Victims of Domestic Violence [22]. | This study aimed to establish the mediating role of multiple patterns of cognitive processing, reflected by the cognitive strategies used to cope with trauma, in the relationship between negative and positive posttraumatic changes in women following IPV. | Poland | 63 women aged 19 to 71 years. | Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale (CPOTS) |
|
8. Driving Factors and Actions Taken by Women to Confront Violence: Qualitative Research Based on Art [23]. | This study aimed to analyze the critical path of women in coping with situations of violence in Brazil. | Brazil | 11 women aged 18 to 59. | In-depth interview |
Seeking help from family members
Reuniting with the aggressor, hoping things would change
|
9. Domestic Violence, Social Support, Coping and Depressive Symptomatology among South Asian Women in Hong Kong [24]. | This study examined the relationships between IPV, coping strategies, perceived social support, and mental health outcomes among South Asian women in Hong Kong. | Hong Kong | 131 South Asian migrant women in Hong Kong aged 18 and above | Brief COPE scale |
|
10. Help-seeking behaviors and practices among Fijian women who experience domestic violence: An exploration of the role of religiosity as a coping strategy [25]. | This study focuses on help-seeking behaviors and practices among Fijian women | Fiji | 18 women aged 18 and above | Interview |
|
11. Violence and Abuse in Rural Older Women’s Lives: A Life Course Perspective [26]. | This study examined the experiences of older women who experienced IPV in the US. | United States | 10 rural older women aged 54 to 70 who had experienced IPV within 5 years of the study | Interview |
Fought back by being physically aggressive themselves, talking back, and yelling. Fought back by using avoidance behaviors; avoiding conflicts with her husband, locking herself in the room
|
12. Domestic Violence during the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences and Coping Behavior of Women from Northern Greece [27] | This study investigated the experiences and coping behaviors of abused women from northern Greece during the COVID-19 | Greece | 15 abused women from Northern Greece aged 30 to 50 | Interview |
|
13. The Experience of Disgust in Women Exposed to Domestic Violence in Turkey [28] | This study investigates how women experience disgust during and after IPV, as a prolonged and repeated traumatic experience, and how they try to cope | Turkey | 6 women aged 18 to 55 | Semi-structured interview |
|
14. Experience and coping strategies of women victims of domestic violence and their professional caregivers: a qualitative study [6]. | This study examines the strategies which had been used by women who had been victims of IPV in Tehran, Iran | Iran | 12 women survivors (mean age of 35.6) and 14 women medical professionals (mean age 39.7) who had worked with survivors | Semi-structured interview |
Support from family/friends
|
15. Resistance Strategies of Madurese Moslem Women Against Domestic Violence in Rural Society [29]. | This study examined the resistance strategies used by Madurese women in Indonesia. | Indonesia | 4 Madurese women who were victims of IPV | Semi-structured interview |
|
16. Through the Life of their Spouses- Coping Strategies of Wives of Male Alcoholics [30]. | This study examines the coping strategies used by wives of alcoholics in India in order to cope with the violence they face from their husbands due to their drinking habits. | India | Indian women above the age of 20, whose husbands were alcoholics. The number of participants was not specified. | Ways of Coping Scale |
The wives of alcoholics adopt the coping strategies to avoid divorces in the marriage, as the divorces will hamper the future of their children too |
17. Black Muslim Women’s Use of Spirituality and Religion as Domestic Violence Coping Strategies [31]. | This study examined the use of religion and spirituality of the black American Muslim community in coping with IPV. | United States | 6 black Muslim women | All participants completed an initial interview, with another 5 completing a follow-up interview |
Using Qur’anic wisdom. The women sought strength to persevere and strategies to escape the abuse from the Qur’an. Some believed that the Qur’an provided them wisdom and saved their lives from their husbands’ violence; one woman escaped being strangled to death by her husband by invoking her God’s name, which stopped her husband from further abusing her in that moment. Spiritual cleansing. This was specific to one participant’s experiences, whereby her husband sought to harm her by use of voodoo. She would then take special baths to protect herself and her children from the voodoo curses her husband placed on her.
|
18. Black Muslim Women’s Domestic Violence Help-Seeking Strategies: Types, Motivations, and Outcomes [32]. | This study examined how black Muslim women in the US sought help for IPV. | United States | 6 black Muslim women | Interview |
|
19. Beaten Into Submissiveness? An Investigation Into the Protective Strategies Used by Survivors of Domestic Abuse [7]. | The aim of the study was to identify the prevalence and perceived helpfulness of a variety of protective strategies that were used by female survivors of domestic abuse in the UK and to explore factors that may have influenced strategy usage. | London, United Kingdom | 40 women in outer London aged 18 and above | Intimate Partner Violence Strategies Index (IPVSI) |
Did whatever the abuser wanted to stop the abuse Tried not to cry during the abuse Tried to avoid the abuser Tried to avoid an argument
Refused to do what they said Ended or tried to end the relationship Fought back with words rather than physically Left home to get away from them
Sent children to stay with a relative Talked with family/friends about what they could do to protect themselves and children Stayed with family or friends
Called the police Filed or helped file criminal charges Tried to receive help from legal aid
Keeping money/valuables close by Keeping important phone numbers for help Keeping extra supply of basic necessities for themselves/children Keeping important papers hidden
Stay at shelter Sought help from religious figure |
20. Facebook group types and posts: Indonesian women free themselves from domestic violence [33]. | This study examined how emerging virtual communities on Facebook provided support for Indonesian women who experienced IPV. | Indonesia | Members in 3 Facebook communities for women who had experienced IPV | Virtual ethnography: Members’ posts IPV were examined Interviews: Researchers interviewed group moderators and members | Posting about their stories in groups on Facebook provided a safe space for Indonesian women where they received emotional support. They also received information and support to report the abuse to the authorities. They also receive support when other survivors share similar experiences with them. |
21. Coping strategies in the face of domestic violence in India [34]. | This study examined the coping strategies of abused women in India. | India | 21 low-income women aged 18 and above | Interview |
|
22. “Mouth Wide Shut”: Strategies of Female Sex Workers for Coping With Intimate Partner Violence [35] | The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between possible violence suffered by female sex workers in their intimate relationships, with their affects, coping strategies, and emotional regulation to overcome such violence and improve their well-being. | Spain | 137 Spanish female sex workers who experience IPV | Interview Measure of Affect Regulation Styles (MARS) |
|
23. The use of help seeking and coping strategies among Bosnian women in domestic violence shelters [36] | This study examined the coping strategies used by Bosnian women who experienced IPV currently in domestic violence shelters. | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 107 women with a mean age of 39 years old | Researchers devised 19 yes/no questions about the women’s use of different strategies in response to the violence they experienced. |
Talked with family members to end the violence. Creating a code to let others know if in danger. Tried to end relationship.
Avoiding the abuser at certain times Avoided seeing or talking with friends or family. However, the participants were split on whether this made the situation better or worse.
Did whatever the partner want to stop the abuse. Most times this made the situation worse.
Keeping money and valuables safe. Having an escape plan. |
24. Overcoming Abuse: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Journey to Recovery From Past Intimate Partner Violence [37]. | This study investigated the lived experiences of survivors of who had overcome abusive relationships and created violence-free and meaningful lives. | US, Australia, Canada, England, Spain and Cameroon | 123 participants (117 women, 3 men and 3 unspecified) who experienced IPV above the age of 21. | Researchers developed a survey for this study with questions that asked about participants’ experience of the abuse. |
|
25. ‘I Know it was Every Week, but I Can’t be Sure if it was Every Day: Domestic Violence and Women with Learning Disabilities [38] | This study examined the experiences of women with learning disabilities in the UK who were victims of IPV. | United Kingdom | 15 women over the age of 18, with learning disabilities who have experienced IPV | Interview |
|
26. ‘You just deal with it. You have to when you’ve got a child’: A narrative analysis of mothers’ accounts of how they coped, both during an abusive relationship and after leaving [39] | This study examines the experiences of IPV survivors who were mothers in the UK. | United Kingdom | Eight women from two IPV shelters in the UK, aged 25 to 55 years | Interview | During the relationship Social support: Seeking support from family and friends or seeking voluntary and statutory services. However, the women avoided telling family and friends while the abuse was ongoing, and only told them and received support after leaving. Most women could not describe how they coped, only that they had no choice but “just had to”. Some of the strategies they used helped them forget and deny the relationship difficulties and associated emotions. Active strategies. The women felt they had no option but to actively change their behavior to cope with the challenges they faced. This included calling the police when their ex-partner’s abuse became intolerable or leaving their ex-partner at times before they ended the relationship Pleasing the partner or being hyper-vigilant of their own behavior to avoid being abused. Running away from difficult situations or hiding from their ex-partner A few women reported using alcohol, illegal drugs or over-eating to distract themselves from painful feelings, both during and after the relationship. After leaving the relationship Keeping busy through education or employment After they left the relationship, some women tried to reconcile with what happened and that they had done their best to cope. |
27. Women’s experiences of domestic violence and mental health: Findings from a European empowerment project [40] | This article reports on an action-research project adopting a strengths-based approach to recovery funded by the European Commission. | Five European nations: United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Poland | 136 women aged 25 to 62 | Data was collected from the training programs through focus groups | The strategies highlighted in this study were aimed at wellness and recovery of women who have left the abusive relationships, and may be considered coping strategies for women after ending the abusive relationships. Women felt that first and foremost, contact with children, family, friends and welfare services contributed to their wellness. Additional responses were going out socially, traveling, focusing on job, helping others, television, reading, painting, sleeping, music, relaxing, eating, shopping, alcohol, smoking, and antidepressants. Physical activities such as dancing, horse riding, cycling, walking and being with nature were cited too. Cleaning the house was mentioned—indicative maybe of women wresting back some control over their environment. A minority expressed a preference for being alone and silence |
Skinner’s Framework | Percentage (%) | Coping Strategies |
---|---|---|
| 88.89 |
|
| 55.56 |
|
| 44.4 |
|
| 29.63 | |
| 29.63 |
|
| 22.22 |
|
| 18.52 |
|
| 14.81 |
|
| 11.11 |
|
| 11.11 |
|
| 11.11 |
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Ong, X.H.; Siah, P.C.; Chie, Q.T.; Lee, W.Y. A Scoping Review on the Coping Strategies Used by Intimate Partner Violence Survivors. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071061
Ong XH, Siah PC, Chie QT, Lee WY. A Scoping Review on the Coping Strategies Used by Intimate Partner Violence Survivors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(7):1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071061
Chicago/Turabian StyleOng, Xiu Hui, Poh Chua Siah, Qiu Ting Chie, and Wan Ying Lee. 2025. "A Scoping Review on the Coping Strategies Used by Intimate Partner Violence Survivors" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 22, no. 7: 1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071061
APA StyleOng, X. H., Siah, P. C., Chie, Q. T., & Lee, W. Y. (2025). A Scoping Review on the Coping Strategies Used by Intimate Partner Violence Survivors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(7), 1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071061