"It's Not Something I Realized Until I Started Working": Knowledge Transmission in Victim Service Providers

• In Event: Victim Service Providers, Provisions, and Technologies: Exploring Efforts to Serve the Needs and Experiences of Victims of Interpersonal Violence

Abstract

Domestic violence (DV) is a serious issue that impacts survivors of all social identities. Research has shown that while DV transcends social boundaries, services for survivors of DV are not distributed equally. One shared experience of non-traditional victim populations (e.g., LGBTQ+ individuals, cis-heterosexual men) is discrimination by victim advocates based upon the survivors’ gender and sexuality. Using interviews with 12 current domestic violence advocates from across the United States, a constructivist grounded theory study was conducted to determine how advocates learn about DV as well as how this information influences their perceptions of legitimate victimhood. Findings of the analysis highlight multiple knowledge pathways present within victim service providers. As described by participants, onboarding during the initial stages of their career, as well as workplace experiences, shifted advocates’ preconceived notions of DV. Regardless of the knowledge pathway experienced, advocates in this sample ultimately held egalitarian views of DV in which they believed that anyone could be a victim of DV. A discussion of improvements to agency training and future research directions follow the presentation of the findings.

Author

• Shon M. Reed, Old Dominion University