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Publication
Stay or leave abusive dating relationships: portuguese victims’ reasons and barriers
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The decision to stay or leave an abusive relationship is multifactorial and frequently
involves a cyclic process involving several phases. This article presents a qualitative analysis
regarding the reasons and barriers to stay or leave an abusive dating relationship, as well as the
challenges that it implies. A semi-structured, in-depth interview was used to collect data from
thirteen dating victims, aged 17–30 years and mainly female (n = 12). The emotional and affective
dependence of the partner and the belief that behaviour may change emerge as the main reasons
presented by the victims to remain in an abusive relationship. Shame, fear of losing the partner, and
failure to recognize the abusive relationship were reported as the main barriers to leave the abusive
relationship, thus making it difficult to seek help. Understanding reasons to stay in, or barriers to
leave, an abusive relationship is fundamental to promoting help-seeking behaviours in victims of
dating violence (DV), particularly in the case of young people, since it has serious implications in
the developmental pathway of this age group.
Description
Keywords
Dating violence (DV) Victims of dating violence Young people Leave abusive relationships Stay in abusive relationships Help-seeking