Support and Autonomy: Social Workers’ Approaches in Dutch Shelters for Female Survivors of Domestic Violence

It is not uncommon that women residing in Dutch shelters following domestic violence consider returning to their partners during the course of their stay. Social workers cannot prohibit return due to the importance of the client’s autonomy, as stated in the Code of Ethics. Simultaneously, social workers aim to ensure women’s safety and encourage a positive future, which can lead to tensions in their way of support-giving. Based on thirty-five interviews with social workers, this study explores how they navigate these tensions and the support they give in such cases. Building on Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach, we distinguish a hands-off and an interventionist approach to autonomy. While the hands-off approach leads to non-intervention and respecting the woman’s decision, the interventionist approach focuses on providing tools and encouraging safer alternatives. The findings show that the hands-off approach is the common type of support, leading to feelings of powerlessness for social workers and often prompting endeavors to intervene more actively. Simultaneously, we argue that, whilst the Code of Ethics demonstrates an ambivalence towards these different forms of autonomy, it is often interpreted by social workers as promoting only a hands-off approach. Consequently, we argue that social workers would benefit from a greater recognition of an interventionist approach to autonomy and more liberty in support-giving.