The home as a site of trauma, resistance and healing in the context of intimate partner violence

Drawing from feminist and social geography perspectives, this article examines how intimate partner violence (IPV) reshapes the meaning of home for women who have experienced abuse. Arguing that IPV transforms the home in more complex ways than previous studies have shown, the article seeks to bring conceptualization of trauma into closer dialogue with feminist analysis of the space of the home.

Findings from a qualitative study conducted in Chile reveal two interconnected dynamics. First, IPV survivors describe their homes as spaces of coercion where perpetrators exert surveillance and control, leading to emotional and material consequences. Second, the study highlights a crucial process of spatial and emotional recovery after IPV. Once separated from their aggressors, women redefine their homes as spaces of resistance and healing. Through everyday acts of agency and resistance, they reclaim domestic spaces as places of security and self-determination. Ultimately, while IPV survivors frequently endure precarious living conditions after leaving abusive relationships, their ability to reconstruct a sense of home emerges as a critical strategy for empowerment. These newly built or reclaimed spaces, serve as fortresses of autonomy, allowing women to regain control over their lives and reestablish a sense of belonging.