”It should end when you leave the relationship, but it doesn’t” : Post-separation violence – from a women’s shelter perspective

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine how women’s shelter staff understand the phenomenon post-separation violence and how they experience the work with women exposed to post-separation violence by a former male partner. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with women’s shelter staff in central Sweden. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis and feminist theory was used as a theoretical framework. The findings suggest that the staff perceive post-separation violence as continuing despite the woman leaving the relationship and that the violence changes character and escalates. The staff worked according to a woman-to-woman logic and their work was based on the women’s needs, including need of counselling. The staff experienced their work as frustrating and challenging when the laws and guidelines of the authorities can become contradictory. One possible improvement is to change the laws that enables violence.