Homeless women, domestic violence, victim, survivor, homeless shelter

Transformation of victim´s identity into a survivor´s identity in mothers living in a shelter in Czech Republic. Domestic violence and commonly associated homelessness can be a very traumatic experience affecting the identity of homeless mothers. To understand victimological concept of reframing a victim into a survivor, we used analysis of data collected in qualitative participative research with 33 single mothers living with their children in shelters. The data shows that changing a victim´s identity to a survivor´s identity is realised in four stages that include: (1) the narratives of silence, (2) the narratives of total silence, (3) the narratives of transformation, and (4) the narratives of self-transcendence. An important element in the process of identity transformation is the relationship with the social worker. The results of the research are discussed in terms of relational psychoanalysis.