Our work examines when young women who have experienced abuse choose to (not) speak out and what creates the conditions for (not) doing so. We interviewed 17 heterosexual, partnered women aged 18 to 24 who had experienced intimate partner violence. Many linked silence with fear/anxiety and understood speaking out as a threat to their relationship, while others spoke up despite possible consequences and called their partners out. Some experienced fear at the thought of speaking out but did so anyway. This study nuances understandings of silencing in the abuse context and may contribute to youth programming concerning decisions around (not) speaking out.

中文翻译：

---

男性暴力背景下年轻女性的沉默和发声

我们的工作探讨了遭受虐待的年轻女性何时选择（不）发声，以及是什么创造了（不）这样做的条件。我们采访了 17 名年龄在 18 至 24 岁之间、经历过亲密伴侣暴力的异性恋、有伴侣的女性。许多人将沉默与恐惧/焦虑联系在一起，并认为说出自己的想法是对他们关系的威胁，而另一些人则不顾可能的后果而大声疾呼，并呼吁他们的伴侣退出。有些人一想到要说出来就感到害怕，但还是这么做了。这项研究细致入微地理解了虐待背景下的沉默，并可能有助于青少年制定有关（不）发声的决定。