This study used a grounded theory approach to primarily understand the processes Caviteña participants go through in order to arrive at a decision about how to optimize intimate relationships in the presence of abuse and also on how to generate a conceptual framework out of the interconnections of the concepts identified. Eleven participants were interviewed. Five core categories emerged namely: intimate partner violence (IPV), gender differences, processes, consequences and interventions. IPV from the perspective of Caviteñas can be constructed as an inner experience that affects many dimensions of a woman as a person. It causes pain that goes beyond what is physical and deeply penetrates an affected person's inner emotional core. It is a product of interplay among a multitude of factors and is a culprit of many physical and psychological health problems. It affects not just the woman and the perpetrator but also the children, the rest of the family's members, and the community as well. The conceptual framework challenges nurses to address the phenomenon through a holistic, integrated, multidisciplinary approach by taking into account the many layers of the victim's persona - physically, psychologically, emotionally and even economically.
Intimate Partner Violence ; Grounded Theory