Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Jorge M. Fernandez de Cueto
Committee Member
Verona McCarthy
Committee Member
Ronald P. Kern
Keywords
battered women, Belize, domestic violence, family violence, feminist model of intervention, intervention, self-competence, self-esteem, self-esteem enhancement theory, self-worthiness, shelter services, treatment intervention, violence
Abstract
The problem investigated involved the increasing numbers of reported cases of domestic violence in Belize between 2000 and 2009. As a result of this situation, the purpose of this applied research was to investigate the self-esteem of battered women who access the services of a shelter in Belize. This first of its kind study in Belize provided baseline data on the self-esteem of battered women to guide the development and implementation of treatment intervention for the women. Key to developing any treatment intervention is that the format is based on data-driven evidence that indicates how battered women in the shelter perceive themselves.
Participants consisted of 20 battered women who accessed the services of the shelter. The study was an investigation on the self-esteem of the women surveyed, and the levels of the two dimensions of self-esteem; self-competence and self-worthiness. Literature revealed that this dimensionality is evident in the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale; therefore this scale was utilized as the assessment instrument for this study.
The following research questions were formulated for this study: What is the level of self-esteem of battered women who access the services of a shelter in Belize? What are the levels of feelings of competence in battered women who access the service in a shelter in Belize? What are the levels of feelings of worthiness in battered women who access the services of a shelter in Belize? What do the results of the study indicate with regards to the direction for the development of treatment intervention?
The study revealed that 50% of the battered women of the shelter had low self-esteem, 40% had average self-esteem, and ten percent had high self-esteem. It also revealed that participants felt statistically significantly more self-worthiness than self-competence. Recommendations were made for the development of treatment intervention centered on the feminist model of intervention, and founded on the principles of the Self-Esteem Enhancement Theory.