search for help

A major problem abused women face is accessing support from persons and organisations they turn to for help. The nature and quality of this support is often culture specific with the situation likely to be harder for women in less developed countries. In such locations there are fewer formal resources than more developedcountries, and citizens are often unaware of ways in which they can help. Focusing on the lives of twenty women, this book examines the help-seeking process with formal and informal sources for abused Jamaican women. Aspects of the process examined include women's motivation for seeking help and the types of responses (positive and negative) they receive. In addition, this qualitative study identified cultural factors that contribute to Jamaican women's experiences emphasizing the need for those providing services to take a more holistic approach when addressing issues concerning intimate partner violence. The roles of economic factors and of general community violence are also discussed. This book should be invaluable to persons and organisations that seek to provide useful services to abused women and to policymakers and their advisors.