“I was just feeding the baby and he ripped her off my breast”: A case study of a Christian woman's lived experience of domestic violence

This retrospective longitudinal study promotes the voice of a victim of domestic violence, Jessica. A case study methodology was adopted for this project and Jessica’s lived experience of domestic violence was explored through a feminist framework that promoted her voice and valued her reflections. Jessica’s narrative, produced through a series of lengthy interviews, detailed the development and progression of domestic violence during her 27-year marriage to Jack and in the months following their separation. The findings from the analysis of this narrative were triangulated with the findings from an analysis of a Christian sermon preached to a faith community similar to the communities Jessica attended during her marriage – communities that endorsed the Christian doctrine of male headship. The potential for the principles associated with the doctrine of male headship to oppress women has been explored through existing research. The key finding from this research project identifies this doctrine as an ‘umbrella’ form of coercive control that renders necessary the actioning of other coercive and controlling behaviours to maintain male privilege in marriages and faith environments, with some faith leaders and community members actively engaged in perpetrating these behaviours. Further research is recommended to determine if factors that influenced Jessica’s lived experience of domestic violence are replicated in the lives of other Christian women.