Partner Abuse in Physically Disabled Women: A Proposed Model for Understanding Intimate Partner Violence

PROBLEM: Physically disabled women are a population at significant risk for intimate partner violence. METHOD: This study used a qualitative research design to address the abuse experience of physically disabled women. FINDINGS: The participants identified multiple incidences of abuse, focusing on how the abuse began, proceeded, and terminated. A model was constructed to depict the abuse experience. The progression of abuse triggers, responses of the women, the abuse episode, the after-effects, and the slow return to usual routines were identified. CONCLUSIONS: A model, which is different from Walker's Cycle of Violence (Walker, 1979; 2000), was constructed to demonstrate the journey of women with disabilities through the abuse.