TRAUMATIC RESPONSES AMONG BATTERED WOMEN WHO KILL

This study compared levels of violence, social support, and post-traum atic stress between battered women charged with a violent crime agains t an abusive partner and those seeking help from a mental health clini c. Results indicated that forensic battered women were more likely tha n clinical battered women to report experiencing severe violence, incl uding sexual abuse, in their relationships. Women in the forensic samp le also reported less social support and greater post-traumatic stress than women in the clinical sample. However, when social support and l evel of violence were accounted for, levels of general post-traumatic stress indicators (MMPI-PTSD, CR-PTSD, GSI) were no longer different b etween groups, although levels of specific post-traumatic stress indic ators (intrusion, avoidance) remained higher for battered women in the forensic sample. Implications for understanding battered women's resp onse to violence and their post-traumatic reactions to it are discusse d.