In my diploma thesis, I write about the signs of intimate partner violence in the relationships
of young women. I discuss what kind of expectations and values they have prior to getting into
a relationship and how those values and expectations change during the relationship. I also
focus on the relationship breakup and the separation process, on formal and informal help and
support, on the consequences of violence in women's lives, especially on their mental health,
and on their recovery process.
The overview of the issue includes the definition of violence, types and cycle of violence,
expectations in an intimate relationship at a young age, identifying early signs of violence,
relationship breakup, victims' help and support, protection of victims, consequences of violence
and the recovery process.
In the empirical chapters, I conducted a qualitative research and analysed the data obtained
through semi-structured interviews with six young women who were victims of domestic
violence. The results showed that each women had different expectations prior to entering a
relationship and those expectations changed significantly after experiencing domestic violence.
The reasons for staying in a relationship also differed, often the normalization of violence
occurred. The majority of women experienced psychological violence and the warning signs of
violence did not differ that much. The most common warning sign was being manipulated by a
partner. Mental abuse turned into physical violence. A standard cycle of violence was also
present. Most women missed the early warning signs of violence and recognized them during
the relationship when they became more frequent and worse. The fact that those women were
young made it even more difficult to recognize these signs. The key reason for the relationship
breakup was most often being cheated on. After the breakup, harassment and violence from a
partner often continued. The results showed that these happenings took a toll on all women's
mental health and physical health of the majority of them also deteriorated. They also faced
problems in interpersonal relationship and self-esteem issues. All women received social
network support which was effective. Seeking professional help, they most often chose
psychotherapy, and they also helped themselves. They also emphasized not getting right
professional help. During recovery, there was an improvement in their mental health, well-
being and awareness of self-worth.
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