Domestic Violence Survivors Perceived Vocational Supports and Barriers

Domestic violence survivors encounter numerous barriers and few supports in pursuit of their vocational goals. There is a dearth of research, however, on the vocational supports and barriers salient for survivors. This study aims ( a) to assess the psychometric properties of vocational supports and barriers measures with a racially and geographically diverse sample of survivors, (b) to investigate survivors' abuse experiences and perceived supports and barriers, and ( c) to examine the relationships among survivors' abuse experiences and supports and barriers. This study was conducted with 227 women survivors residing in five U. S. geographic regions. Results showed strong construct validity for the supports and barriers measures; participants' abuse experiences were associated with current perceptions of vocational barriers but not anticipation of future barriers; racial differences were found among survivors' perceptions of support and the relationship between perceived support, perceived barriers, and abuse experiences. Research and practice implications are provided.