ABSTRACT
The theme of fearful of the future is discussed, as intimate partner violence (IPV) victims understand and express their fears of future violence. This fear includes that of their own personal safety, as well as that of their children's. Resistance to abuse is a theme that is detailed from the perspective of the IPV victim who takes action to prevent further abuse against themselves, by utilizing non-violent acts to attempt to mitigate the threat against themselves from their abuser. The subthemes of helping abuser and separated or estranged are detailed further to assist the reader in understanding the dynamics of the theme of resistance to abuse and the struggle IPV victims have with leaving their abuser. Abuser mental illness is introduced as a theme that includes a review of indicators of the IPV abuser's history or tendency toward various acts. Within the theme of abuser mental illness, the subthemes of drinking alcohol, drug use, and paranoia are analyzed to help detail the threat of the IPV abuser's use of intoxicating substances and accusations of cheating to the IPV victim.
