Developing a Capacity for Self-Preservation and Emergency Management Among Battered Families

A study of families' responses to emergency situations was conducted. Participants included 5 single mothers, and their children, who had been victims of domestic violence. During baseline, families' survival skills were assessed in role-play scenarios involving threatening intruders, fire, and medical emergencies. Subsequently, family members were instructed in ways to manage these emergencies. Components of training were individualized on the basis of each family's situation (e.g., whether they possessed working automobiles, telephones). Results indicated all participants mastered these survival skills and maintained them during follow-up observations.