The Burning Bed Up Close: Lives of Victims of Domestic Violence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67669/facci0018Keywords:
Criminal justice, domestic violence, phenomenological research, Tacloban CityAbstract
This study explores the lived experiences and coping mechanisms of women who were victims of domestic violence in Tacloban City, Leyte. Through a phenomenology research design, in-depth interviews were conducted. Informants reported experiencing physical, financial, and verbal abuse. Their accounts revealed the impact of these abuses on their daily lives and relationships. Coping responses varied, demonstrating individual strategies and varying levels of reliance on others for support. Five themes were identified from the data: Behind Closed Doors, Ménage of Distress, Flinching Trauma, People Need People, and Freed from Shackles. These themes represent the victims’ hidden struggles, emotional burdens, encounters with trauma, dependence on social support, and eventual steps toward liberation from abuse. The findings provide insight into how victims managed to live with and respond to domestic violence. Some resorted to silence and endurance as immediate responses, while others sought comfort from family, friends, or community members. Informants also described personal efforts such as focusing on their children, finding work, or engaging in activities that helped them cope emotionally. The themes reflect not only the severity of abuse but also the strategies victims employed to survive and slowly detach themselves from abusive environments.
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