Dissertation research

Hey Neha25,

Welcome here, and you have my compassion for having grown up witnessing your mother being abused. One author you might want to look into is 'Lundy Bancroft'- as well as "'Belleruth Naparstek' and of course the classic, which you probably already know anyways--- 'Judith Hermann'.

As for getting permission -

I believe all members or guests here have the right to share what they feel comfortable with- and see no reason why they could not contact you and exchange information.
You named your university and reason for the research, and if you use your official university email- I bet some members will feel safe about sharing information with you that is very personal. We have had a few other students contact us before as well about similar projects.

We are all about raising awareness for DV. Our forum is based on amazing 'survivors' of abuse, I agree with dianem, it can be difficult to keep on being called 'victim'. I myself never knew what I wanted to be called after having experienced an abusive father, and one abusive boyfriend.

Many of us have actually already contributed to a book that one of our dear administrators Steve published, called "Jerk Radar". I highly recommend the book as part of your research/investigation of the topic. I wish all high schools would require teenagers to read it. Or the latest in college during the first year.

As for a better term- I did like 'survivor' at one time, now I don't mind anymore that I was a victim of abuse. Maybe 'A person who experienced or is experiencing abuse' might be a bit more gentle, and also leave the fact open that even though you are or have been a victim of abuse, you are still empowered, and have tons of strength and do not want a pity part, but rather sincere compassion.

Once you have finished the survey, let us know. I think knowing what questions will be asked, might get more volunteers on board. I personally do not mind anymore sharing my story and would gladly do so for your research.

However, we have tons of new members and people who still heal a lot- and who are dealing with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress. For them i recommend that if you choose to participate, check in with yourself if it feels right and what your gut says.

Also, if you yourself feel like you would post about your experiences- or concerns, or anything, let us know. We are here.
I also encourage you personally to maybe involve a counselor at this point of your research if you feel this topic starts getting heavy on you. DV can be heavy and can trigger a lot of your own PTSD from having been a witness to abuse growing up. Lundy Bancroft has two amazing books about children in a DV home.

Your college should have free counseling service, do not hesitate to contact them if you feel it might be right.
These services are usually for free too, which is great. I know many counselors and therapists themselves have to or do so ongoing, attend counseling, to have support during their extremely emotional work.

Maybe also talk to your thesis supervisors to get more input as to where you can go for more resources. Maybe a local DV shelter in your town- or via the national DV hotline etc. Depending on how many participants you need, maybe also ask the health center at your university. But usually a good starting point would be a professor who is a specialist in the field and has experience in how to set such a study and survey up.

Glad you found us and am looking forward to hearing more from you!