Barriers to Empowerment at the Intersection of Motherhood, TANF, and Intimate Partner Violence

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to better understand the experiences and barriers to employment of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) who utilized the Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in Arkansas.MethodsUsing directed qualitative content analysis (DQCA), the authors applied empowerment theory to gain knowledge of the intersections of IPV, employment requirements, and living in rural areas from qualitative survey responses during an evaluation of satisfaction with the Arkansas TANF program. All eight steps of (DQCA) were used to analyze the data from 186 participants who experienced IPV while on TANF.ResultsThe directed qualitative content analysis yielded three main themes, 1) Agency, 2) Resources, and 3) Achievements, with various subthemes in line with empowerment theory including agency surrounding criminal history, location, health, and IPV experiences; Resources such as education access and childcare; and finally achievements in the form of motivation, view of self, and access to resources.ConclusionsDespite the goal of TANF to empower those in rural areas with employment and education resources, experiences with IPV creates additional barriers to successfully completing the program's requirements. Comprehensive IPV screening as well as holistic supportive services for IPV experience are needed to ensure survivor's success at achieving the program's goals.