Why Do They Stay? Examining Contributing Factors to Length of Stay in a Domestic Violence Shelter

• In Event: Assessment of Resources for Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that the longer women remain in shelters, the more likely they are to benefit from their shelter stay (Lyon, Lane, & Menard, 2008). However, we know very little about the factors that influence women's decision. This study sought to identify the demographic, abuse history, situational and contextual (shelter-specific) factors associated with abused women using shelter services for a longer period of time. We examined a sample of all women accessing a DV shelter during a two-year period (n=88) in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. More than half the women in the sample left the shelter in less than a month. Results showed that only situational variables influenced the length of time women stayed in the shelter. Findings contribute to the discussion of the services that should and could be offered to abused women accessing shelters.

Author

• Monica Perez-Trujillo, University of Los Andes, Colombia