Stories of Survival Oral Histories of Coping and Resilience in Response to Domestic Violence in Guam

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By Camarin G. Meno Master of Science in Clinical Psychology Graduate Student University of Guam camarin_meno@yahoo.com

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Abstract: In recent years, Guam has had increasingly alarming rates of domestic violence among Chamorro women and girls. These high rates of violence in the current context contrast starkly with historical descriptions of ways in which Chamorro women were traditionally protected from such violence. Utilizing narrative and participatory action research methods, this study involves multigenerational life narrative interviews conducted with middle-aged Chamorro women, focusing on personal and familial experiences of violence and highlighting ways in which survivors, families, and communities responded to violence in prior generations. This presentation outlines the preliminary findings of the study, with a particular focus on the impact of modernity and colonialism on Chamorro women and the ways in which Chamorro styles of coping and resilience in response to domestic violence have changed throughout history and across generations. Editor’s Note: This paper, presented at the Marianas History Conference, was not made available for publication.

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--Camarin G. Meno is a graduate student in the Master of Science in Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Guam and currently serves as the Victim Services Coordinator at the University’s Violence Against Women Prevention Program. Her research interests focus primarily on sociocultural and historical perspectives on mental health and social issues in Guam, such as domestic violence and suicide.


2nd Marianas History Conference 2013 ・ !209