title: Chieko's story: giving voice to survivors of wife abuse.
abstract: Chieko's story relates in narrative form the childhood and early adult experiences of a Japanese woman who is learning to heal and rebuild her life after growing up in a violent home and ending an abusive marriage. This exemplar illustrates major processes and themes that emerged from a cross-cultural qualitative study of family violence. It also portrays universal aspects of this significant and pervasive health and social issue. This in-depth analysis and commentary on one woman's story that could have occurred almost anywhere uncovers hidden aspects contributing to the recidivism of this phenomenon. This story conveys hope for the many women and children who have no voice and for the clinicians who work with them.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga-ken, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hatashita
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Brykczynski
authors.forename: Elizabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D033262:Narration; D012934:Social Isolation; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D016387:Women's Health; D014933:Women's Rights