Post-PRWORA Implications for Poor Abuse Victims: How Do They Fare?

Abstract

Because most instances of physical and sexual abuse towards women fall into the category of family violence, in this paper I focus on the various forms of family violence in the United States. First I examine the problem of family violence as a whole and then I refocus on those individuals most likely to suffer incidents of family violence in their lives -- poor women. I also explore the many effects a history of abuse has on victims and the established links between abuse and poverty, making larger causal inferences along the way. Finally, I explore the effects that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and the Family Violence Option (FVO) on domestic abuse victims. Ultimately, my goal is to evaluate the quality of existing welfare support structures for victims of abuse and make recommendations for further improvements.