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We appreciate the thoughtful comments of Ms. Taylor. Within the transactional model of abuse that guided our study, both potentiating and compensatory factors are included. Although interview questions included the notion of both types of factors, the predominance of data related to potentiating factors. Our findings underscored the lack of compensatory factors, such as social support, in this particular sample of women. Most of the women in this sample talked very little about any positive experiences in their childhood that aided them in dealing with their childhood experiences. The women made their own connection between this lack and difficulties, including abusive relationships, many experienced as adults. We also were surprised by the high incidence of women who reported current treatment for mental health problems. This was contrary to what we also have experienced as clinicians. Approximately 25% of the sample came from domestic violence shelters and were participating in support groups. This may have inflated the findings somewhat; however, the remaining 75% of the women responded from advertisements in various community settings. We did not delineate what the women interpreted as ‘treatment’. This would be an important point to include in future studies.

More details of other aspects of this study are published in: Lutenbacher, M., Cohen, A., & Mitzel, J. (2003). Do we really help? Perspectives of Abused Women. Public Health Nursing, 20, 56–64.