| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 社會政策與社會工作學系 === 97 === This study aimed to investigate the impacts of protection order on female victims of domestic violence. There are three research purposes : (1) to discuss the experience and feelings of female victims during the petitioning, possessing, and after expiration of the protection order; (2) to understand the impacts of protection order on victims’ personal safety, mental health, and life adaptation; and (3) to propose suggestions for prevention of domestic violence.
This study adopted a paradigm of phenomenology and qualitative research, and conducted purposive sampling to collect samples. The main sources of samples were from Modern Women’s Foundation, two county/city Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Protection Centers in northern and central Taiwan. There are 11 female victims who had received protection order were selected for in-depth interview.
The findings are as follows:
First, when female victims are in the process of filing for protection order, their motives including: ending domestic violence, and hoping protection order could help them release when abuser’s violence has endangered their or their children’s lives. In the court experience, victims whom the judges identify with would have power of being believed, while those whom the judges do not identify with would feel frustration and setback. Also, when filing for protection order, the female victims face the changes of the roles, and feel anxiety and fear toward the uncertainty of the filing process.
Secondly, after the protection order is issued, female victims would feel that justice has been served. For those who have protection order, in the aspect of personal safety, the protection order can prevent new harms and represent the protection of judicial power. In the aspect of life adaptation, the protection order brings female victims a more stable life, with higher autonomy, and helping them entering a period of self-healing and recovery. More, in the aspect of mental health, the protection order brings a sense of security, and represents a legal efficacy, enhancing female victims to feel that they have their own power.
Thirdly, in the period of owning protection order, victims receive direct, indirect and reciprocal influences during different stages. The indirect influence of protection order upon its expiration is that victims could develop a sense of self-affirmation and identification, stronger feeling of control, positive personality characteristics, improved interpersonal relationship, be willing to express their thoughts, become as helpers, act proactively to change social norms, and challenge the authorities. During the course, the formal and informal support systems and victims’ personal traits and status all have positive and negative influences on victims, and these influences and changes are spread on personal level, interpersonal level, and socio-political levels.
Fourthly, the results also indicate that protection order gives female victims hope and opportunities, is symbolic for turning point and choice, and is a channel to a new path. The psychological functions include: supportive friends, maintaining self-respect and dignity, stimulation self-reflection of problems, and empower the women.
Finally, based on the conclusions and discussion, suggestions to the practical work of domestic violence prevention and future studies are provided.
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