📄 Abstract
Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) remains a persistent social and public-safety concern despite the legal protections established under Republic Act No. 9262. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of VAWC survivors in Sampaloc, Manila, the challenges they encountered in seeking help, the coping and support systems they used, their perceptions of community-level interventions, and their aspirations for recovery. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five adult survivor-mothers and five Barangay VAWC Desk Officers purposively selected using established inclusion criteria. The interview guide underwent expert content validation, and the data were analyzed through Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis. Findings showed that survivors experienced multidimensional abuse involving physical, psychological, emotional, and economic harm, accompanied by fear, shame, isolation, and constrained agency. Help-seeking was impeded by anticipated retaliation, stigma, financial dependence, limited shelter options, resource constraints, and uneven inter-agency coordination. Survivors relied on children, family, faith, supportive peers, Barangay VAWC Desks, and personal resilience. Immediate barangay responses, including protection orders and legal guidance, were generally perceived as helpful, but long-term psychosocial, economic, shelter, and case-monitoring support remained insufficient. The study concludes that sustainable recovery requires legal protection to be integrated with trauma-informed care, safe-space pathways, economic empowerment, and coordinated case management. These findings informed the development of Project L.I.G.T.A.S., a localized survivor-centered intervention framework.
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📚 How to Cite:
Rhenzon S. Zalamea , LIVED EXPERIENCES AND INTERVENTION RESPONSES TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN (VAWC): A QUALITATIVE STUDY IN SAMPALOC, MANILA , Volume 12 , Issue 9, September 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 353 - 360 ,