A grounded theory study on leave-stay decision making of abused women in abusive relationship

Abstract

This research aims at building a theory to explain 'staying of abused women in Hong Kong' through the use of grounded theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). It contrasts traditional verification research which places data analysis after data collection; whereas grounded theory methodology requires the researcher to collect and analyze data simultaneously, in order to guide the next data collection. Therefore, data collected from participating in sharing sessions and in-depth interviews with abused women were coded and conceptualized after each time of field work for guiding next round data collection. Gradually, concepts generated from data became saturated; meanwhile, relationships among concepts were developed and integrated into a theory, 'reorienting conjugal relationship with the abuser'. The grounded theory generated in this research sheds light on the evaluating processes engaged by abused women to reappraise their conjugal relationships with the abusers, hence, making their leave-stay decision. The evaluating processes are found mediated by three different decision-making mechanisms, threshold-ing, dichotomy and checklist-ing, and are correspondent to abused women's understandings of the conjugal relationships. The deficiencies of current housing policy, financial assistance and social work practice are discussed with reference to the grounded theory, and both policy and practice implications are drawn. More importantly, through this grounded theory research, I would like to advocate a research practice, which no longer works for verifying grant theories, but to generate new knowledge and integrate existing perspectives to help making sense of the phenomenon, staying of abused women.