The Significance of Volunteer Support for Female Survivors Recovering from Intimate-Partner Violence

Many studies have reported that social support is an important factor in mitigating the negative effects of intimate-partner violence (IPV) on female victims. However, little is known about how different types of social support affect the physical and mental health of women with a history of IPV. This quantitative study therefore aimed to explore the impacts of volunteer support (VS) on female IPV survivors by comparing those who had received VS and those who had not after leaving their abusive partners. Thirty-two female IPV survivors received VS from a victim support programme, and forty-eight female IPV survivors without VS in Hong Kong participated in the study. The findings showed that women who received VS have enhanced awareness of social supports and are more likely to use adaptive coping strategies than their counterparts. VS can also facilitate the growth of personality resilience and the psychological hardiness of female IPV survivors, especially on controlling their lives and dealing with stressful situations. The findings suggest that VS for female IPV survivors is a significant and indispensable support on their recovery, which should be considered as part of the standard support or routine intervention in the services given to all female IPV survivors.