| The goal of this project was to examine the cycle of intimate partner violence especially when female victims witnessed abuse in childhood and to develop a counseling application to support this population. The motivation behind this project is the fact that intimate partner violence is so common, and has dire consequences, yet often goes unnoticed and misunderstood. More specifically, women who experience IPV tend to have high levels of depression and anxiety as well as a reliance on drugs and alcohol to cope with the trauma they witnessed as children as well as to deal with the abuse going on currently in their lives (Wilson, 1997). Different types of abuse and solutions are examined, and then a group therapy application using attachment theory and dialectical behavior therapy provides one potential means of support. The hope is that through education, women can make healthier choices in relationships. |
