2017-2018 Faculty Research Grants
Melissa Ponce-Rodas (Behavioral Sciences)
Hear Their Voices: Listening to Adventist Survivors of Domestic Violence
The purpose of the study is to learn more about the possible ways in which religion, spirituality and domestic violence beliefs and behaviors intersect. In the extant literature, there is a dearth of research examining the possible intersections of religion and DV. This study aims to address that gap. The researcher will interview both males and females who have identified themselves as survivors of violence and who identify as SDA. The goal is to recruit 8-12 people per gender, using the snowball technique. The study will build on my previous work with women in the SDA church to continue to explore their perceptions of how the church impacted their DV experiences. The interview protocol specifically asks about DV experiences being impacted by people from one’s church, religious doctrines, spirituality and allows for open ended responses where participants can discuss any other intersections they deem relevant. Interviews will be recorded, data will be transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software, and a grounded theory approach to analysis. This information, along with the extant work in the denomination with regards to DV will be used to help develop training, prevention and intervention projects for the church leadership to use in combating DV.