RESILIENCE OF WIVES WHO ARE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (KDRT): A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ISLAMIC PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

This study aims to understand the subjective experiences of wives who are victims of domestic violence (KDRT) in building psychological and spiritual resilience, to identify the internal and external factors shaping this resilience, and to analyze the role of Islamic values — patience (sabar), reliance on God (tawakal), effort (ikhtiar), and acceptance (ridha) — in that process. This study employed a qualitative approach with an interpretative phenomenological design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and non-participant observation with three women (Mrs. MR, Mrs. SF, and Mrs. HA) who had experienced or were experiencing domestic violence in Batam City, Riau Islands, and were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. The findings identify four interrelated themes: (1) multidimensional suffering and powerlessness; (2) emotion regulation and Islamic value-based coping strategies; (3) reinterpretation of sabar, tawakal, ikhtiar, and ridha; and (4) identity transformation from victim to empowered survivor. The completeness and pattern of these themes varied across participants, shaped by the duration of abuse, social support received, and depth of spiritual meaning-making; the unresolved process of forgiveness (forgiveness) toward the perpetrator was also linked to a still-partial resilience in some participants. This study concludes that resilience among wives surviving domestic violence is not merely an ability to endure, but a transformative process that integrates modern psychological resources with Islamic spiritual values, offering a foundation for more contextual Islamic counseling interventions for Muslim women who are victims of domestic violence.