## Because of their participation in The Freedom Programme

- • participants strongly agreed, that the programme has resulted in a positive • participants strongly agreed, that the programme has resulted in a positive change in their lives and eight agreed.
- • participants strongly agreed they are more hopeful for the future. Five • participants strongly agreed they are more hopeful for the future. Five agreed and one disagreed. The one participant who disagreed felt this was because they still felt very afraid that their ex-partner may carry out their threats.
- • participants strongly agreed that they are more assertive. Ten agreed • participants strongly agreed that they are more assertive. Ten agreed and one disagreed because she had only been out of the abusive relationship for a short time and felt she needed longer to feel assertive.
- • participants strongly agreed that they were more confident. Ten agreed • participants strongly agreed that they were more confident. Ten agreed and 2 strongly disagreed and felt this was because they had not been out of the abusive relationship for that long.
- • participants strongly agreed they no longer blame themselves for their • participants strongly agreed they no longer blame themselves for their abuser's behaviour . Seven agreed and one disagreed.
- • participants strongly agreed that they can now make more sense of their • participants strongly agreed that they can now make more sense of their abusers' behaviour and five agreed.
- • participants strongly agreed they now feel less along in their experience • participants strongly agreed they now feel less along in their experience of domestic abuse and four agreed.
- • participants strongly agreed and five agreed that they expect to be more • participants strongly agreed and five agreed that they expect to be more respected.
- • participants strongly agreed that they can now recognise and identify • participants strongly agreed that they can now recognise and identify abusive behaviour and six agreed.
- • participants strongly agreed that they feel they have the ability to • participants strongly agreed that they feel they have the ability to respond to abusive behaviour, four agreed and one disagreed.
- • participants strongly agreed that they could now recognise an unhealthy • participants strongly agreed that they could now recognise an unhealthy relationship and four agreed.
- • participants strongly agreed that they understood more about the impact • participants strongly agreed that they understood more about the impact of domestic abuse on children and six agreed.

As well as the quantitative findings, women had the opportunity to explain their reasons for selecting their answers. The main themes that emerged from the qualitative questions were:

- • think sometimes it would be good to have the questions on the screen, or • think sometimes it would be good to have the questions on the screen, or remind us of the names of each type. I would have liked the paper copy of the book to be able to read rather than the digital version. Spending all day on the computer at work, sometimes would be nice to have the option to change it up a bit'.
- • is not a criticism at all, more of a suggestion. I think it might be • is not a criticism at all, more of a suggestion. I think it might be interesting to draw from different cultural experiences and what is considered culturally acceptable behaviour and what is considered as abusive behaviour'.
- • was initially unsure about how this course would be and whether or not I • was initially unsure about how this course would be and whether or not I would feel able to participate. From my very first session I felt engaged, included and able to express myself which eradicated any uncertainty '.