P-18 A narrative approach to explore the perceptions of battered women and support personnel regarding social support network and services in Trinidad
Author(s):
M Lewis
Year of Presentation:
2026
Objective: This qualitative study was primarily conducted
to address the issue of the perceptions of battered women
and support personnel to social support network and services in Trinidad.
Research question 1: How do battered women and support personnel perceive social support networks and services regarding availability?
Research question 2: What factors do victims and support personnel perceive as barriers to building effective connections with the social support networks and services.
Methods: The researcher employed the qualitative narrative research method in this study. It was the most appropriate method for exploring the social phenomenon. The participants chosen for the study were two survivors of domestic violence as well as three support personnel. These personnel consist of one police officer, a public health visitor and a guidance counselor at the Ministry of Education. All participants were women between the ages 39–50 years old.
Results: Hadeed & El-Bassel (2006) declared that the justice system addresses partner violence as a mere social problem; for this reason, it is under-reported by women because “they feel ashamed and scared”. Rawlins (2000) claimed that fewer participants reported incidents to the police. The police did not intervene in the majority of cases, took fewer reports, and rarely arrested the perpetrator. ‘This explains why battered women are unwilling to make reports to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Services.’ The National Women’s Health Survey (2017) showed only 4.9% battered women reported to the Police Service.
Conclusion: The research findings further indicate that more can be done to improve the functioning of these organizations so that practical support can be given to the battered women.