Getting out: Factors that influenced abused wives' decisions to leave their abusive spousal relationships in Singapore

Abstract

Abused wives who left their abusive relationships help us to understand the factors that enabled them to decide on leaving. This article reports the decision-making phase (as part of a larger study) through the experiences of two ethnic Chinese, one Indian Muslim, and five Malay Muslim women in Singapore. Using an ecological perspective, the study found the urgency of their abusive situation and a change in awareness regarding the impact of the abuse on their children and themselves were the main factors influencing the decision to leave, feedback from external support networks and religious beliefs contributed to the cognitive shift that a negative person-environment fit existed. Implications of these findings for social work practice and social policy are discussed. © 2009 Alliance for Children and Families.