Addressing Domestic Violence as a Barrier to Self-Sufficiency: The Relationship of Welfare Receipt and Spousal Abuse

Abstract

This paper describes the connection between domestic vio­lence and welfare receipt with a focus on the potential impacts of the new welfare program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and one of its amendments, the Family Violence Option (FVO), on domestic violence victims. For women experiencing both poverty and violence, welfare is often the common means of escape and the common path to self-sufficiency. This paper first looks into current research documenting and explaining the overlap between the popula­tions of domestic violence victims and welfare recipients. Secondly, it examines the potential ability of welfare programs to meet the special needs of domestic violence victims, thus having a great impact on the ability of women to escape violent relationships and to become financially self-sufficient. The author contends that ignoring this connection between do­mestic violence and poverty would not only endanger women and children, but also guarantee the failure of welfare-to-work programs for a significant portion of recipients.