Ending Intimate Partner Violence: An Application of the Transtheoretical Model

OBJECTIVE: To examine the application of the transtheoretical model (TM) to women's experiences of ending intimate partner violence (IPV). METHODS: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 abused women. RESULTS: Women use 7 traditional processes of change. Women in early stages of change use cognitive processes. Women in later stages use behavioral processes. Consciousness-raising and social liberation appear in both early and later stages. Helping relationships are critical throughout. Decisional balance and self-efficacy are also related. CONCLUSIONS: Women ending IPV do use the TM processes and constructs of change. These findings support the development and evaluation of a TM stage-based IPV intervention.