Life-Course Victimization and Resilience Among Indigenous Women with Histories of Family Violence

This study employs a life-course perspective to examine the lived experiences of Indigenous women who have survived family violence. It aims to uncover patterns of victimization and resilience across different stages of life and to understand how these trajectories are shaped by intergenerational and cumulative forms of violence.

The study draws on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with twelve Indigenous women who were receiving services at a family violence agency. An applied thematic analysis was conducted to explore the narratives, focusing on key turning points across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood that illustrate pathways of vulnerability and strength.

Findings reveal distinct trajectories of victimization beginning in early life, such as disrupted caregiving, unaddressed trauma, and silencing during formative years, which negatively affected identity and emotional development. Indigenous women experienced repeated abuse throughout the life-course with significant physical, emotional, and mental consequences. Despite these adversities, women demonstrated resilience through personal growth, a focus on motherhood, emotional regulation, and the use of cultural practices as coping mechanisms.

The study is grounded in the life-course perspective, highlighting the necessity for a longitudinal understanding of victimization, which accounts for both macro and micro-level influences, the onset of vulnerability, and the compounding impact of repeated trauma over time. The findings underscore the importance of culturally grounded, trauma-informed policy responses and interventions for marginalized populations, particularly Indigenous communities.