Physical and Sexual Violence in the Lives of Homeless Women

The majority of the women in this study had been physically or sexually assaulted; overwhelmingly, this happened in their own homes, at the hands of a close relative, usually a father or step-father, and prior to becoming homeless. Even for the minority of women who were assaulted after becoming homeless, the assailant usually was not a stranger and the location not a public place. Although repeated incidents of assault were the rule rather than the exception, very few of the women who had been assaulted by their father or step-father while living at home, were later assaulted by a husband, common-law partner, or boyfriend. These findings support other research which discredit the myth that abused women set themselves up for further abuse. The findings also seem to indicate that dealing with the problem of family violence should be part of any policy dealing with women's homelessness.