Year: 2001 Source: Feminism and Psychology, v.11, no.3, (2001), p.305-321 SIEC No: 20050244

This article draws on young women’s stories of abuse in heterosexual love relationships gathered from interviews with 23 young women aged 16-18 years. These stories are examined using a feminist, post-structuralist form of narrative analysis to explore the extent to which young women draw on cultural narratives of romance or alternative narratives & to explore how self & boyfriends are postitioned within these narratives. The impact & prevalence of suicidal threats as barriers to leaving abusive relationships are examined. (41 refs)