The impact of institutional interventions on the identities of domestic abuse victims: a linguistic ethnography exploring identity, power and control.

Aims of the research

In this study I aim to uncover the impacts of professional institutional interventions on the identities of victim-survivors of domestic abuse. Why this is important

Domestic abuse is the most common form of violence against women. Official data shows 2.4 million adults including 1.7 million women in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year to March 2022. Escaping abusive homes and relationships to seek emergency and life-changing help, victim-survivors are thrust into a network of professional support organisations including healthcare, the police, legal and social services.

It is critical that victim-survivors feel supported by these professions, and yet studies have found wide dissatisfactions and poor experiences.

A further challenge faced by victim-survivors and acknowledged by research studies from the traditions of psychology and sociology, is the impact of domestic abuse on their identity. From a position of restrictions, controls and suffering at the hands of an abuser, such studies have suggested a victim-survivor's identity might be lost or erased as a result of abuse.

In contrast, sociolinguists who seek to understand identity through analysis of language maintain that our identity is not fixed but is constructed moment to moment. We construct our identity through the words and language we use every day, language defining who we are in that instant, and revealing our identity relative to other social actors.

To provide effective support it is critical that institutions understand their potential impact on the victim-survivor identity. Leaving the significant power imbalance of the abusive relationship, new relationships of asymmetrical power will develop between victim-survivors and professionals tasked to support. Studies have further shown that different institutions do not share the same understanding or definition of domestic abuse.

This is complicated by contrasting beliefs, stereotypes and definitions of what even is a victim or survivor, beliefs also contradictory between professional institutions and the victim-survivors themselves.

As a sociolinguist I suggest the victim-survivor will continually reconstruct their identity according to both the power imbalances in these different interactions, and in acceptance or resistance to social stereotypes, and that this can be revealed through analysis of their language. Methods

In this study I will use the methods of linguistic ethnography to become immersed into the daily communicative activities of female victim-survivors living in a women's refuge. Such immersion will enable me to build a close rapport, listen to their experiences and stories, and fully engage with their discussions. I will then invite interested victim-survivors to participate voluntarily in more detailed interviews.

Through close critical analysis of their language, I aim to uncover how victim-survivors position themselves in relation to outside professionals and show how they reveal their acceptance or resistance to such sources of external power. In this way I will be able to explore how far the controls suffered at the hands of the abuser might be mirrored in the compliance expectations of professional organisations, and how those professional interactions impact identity.

Practical application and benefits

There has been a growing awareness that it is crucial to listen to victim-survivor's voices to improve policy and deliver social change. Yet despite this recent trend, specific linguistic research with victim-survivors remains severely limited, particularly with regards to identity. This new study will meet this urgent need, with a view to feed back to professional organisations, and have practical benefits in creating real change for victim-survivors.