Dimensions of Suffering among Old and Young Battered Women

This article is a qualitative analysis of the ways in which young and old battered women perceive, understand and experience suffering from violence. The sample included 40 participants, composed of 17 elderly Israeli Jewish women, aged 60 to 84, and 23 younger women, aged 23 to 49. We collected data by in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with young and old battered women. Content analysis yielded several common themes: Suffering through isolation and control; enduring bodily pain; estrangement, alienation and loneliness in one’s own dwelling; time as a source of suffering; significant; others as a mirror of the self; enduring to emotional suffering; and accumulated life wisdom. These themes constitute the basis for the forthcoming analysis and discussion.