Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government

Abstract

Domestic Violence is a social problem that need immediate attention from all members of the
society. There are existing laws for the protection of women, but still, these problems pervade in
many cultures nationwide. The aim of the study was to explore and analyse the dynamics among
female victim-survivors in the Philippines within the context of their marriage or intimate
relationship. It also described the experiences of these women in terms of reaction, consequences
and coping mechanisms. A phenomenological study using in-depth interviews and document
analysis was used to obtain data from eight female victim survivors. All types of abuse surfaced
in the study, such as physical, sexual, psychological and economic. Results indicated the most
common themes of self-blame, powerlessness, suicidal thoughts, retaliation, low self-worth and
self-pity. As a consequence of the abuse, the victim’s children were most affected, which include
the themes of dropping out of school, developing hatred; rebellious attitude towards their father
and reservations of entering a relationship. The most common mechanism that was used by the
female victim-survivors was to focus on their work.