"This report includes a discussion of primary prevention of intimate partner violence, promising approaches to environmental/norms change, an examination of IPV primary prevention within immigrant communities, recommended actions to building momentum for primary prevention of IPV, and immediate next steps. The report is designed as a catalyst and call to action, to give a sense of direction and raise some issues for consideration."
(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)
This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.
15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)
This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.
"This article describes the CARE ( Collaborative for Abuse Prevention in Racial and Ethnic Communities) model, network formation, initial attempts to build collaboration and cultural competence, outreach and education activities, and organizational-level changes resulting from the establishment of the networks. The challenges, successes, and lessons learned in implementing this network model are also discussed."
A pilot study of abuse among Vietnamese Amerasians
"This report describes a pilot study of the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse, and current levels of psychological distress correlated with a history of abuse, in a group of Vietnamese Amerasians bound for the United States. Abused male Amerasians reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress than nonabused male Amerasians, while abused and nonabused female Amerasians did not differ in their levels of psychological distress."
A Preliminary Study of Intimate Partner Violence Among Nepali Women in the United States
"The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of and vulnerabilities to (intimate partner violence) IPV among 45 Nepali immigrant women residing in the New York metropolitan area. The findings demonstrated that 75.6% of women had been verbally insulted by their current partners, and 62.2% had to seek permission from their partners to go to their friends' or relatives' houses."
Access to HHS-Funded Services for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence
January 2001 Factsheet. Provides guidance on eligibility for programs and services funded by HHS.
Acculturation, Partner Violence, and Psychological Distress in Refugee Women From Somalia
"This study examined the relations among acculturation, domestic violence, and mental health in 62 married refugee women from Somalia. The results showed that women who reported greater ability to speak English also reported more experiences of partner psychological abuse and physical aggression. Experiences of more psychological abuse and physical aggressions also predicted more psychological distress. Implications for future research and psychological services are addressed."
Addressing Culture in Batterers Intervention: The Asian Indian Community as an Illustrative Example
"The authors in this article utilize the Cultural Context Model(CCM) a community development and treatment model. The CCM approaches intervention with batterers and their families from a perspective that acknowledges a multilayered experience of culture. It requires accountability from batterers and supports the empowerment of victims and children at the same time as it recognizes the impact of a number of social forces related to culture and cultural differences on communities, families, and individuals. These forces include sexism, racism, and heterosexism, as well as experiences with immigration, colonization, and capitalism. Although the treatment approach is applicable cross-culturally, this article primarily focuses on examples involving families from Asian Indian-American communities."
An Overview of Intimate Partner Violence Among Latinos
"This article reviews the existing literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) among Latinos to put the findings of this special issue into context. This review of the literature suggests that IPV occurs as frequently among Latinos as among non-Latinos when confounders are controlled for. Role strain, especially as a result of immigration and acculturation, might be unique to Latinos, and its importance, and the importance of male dominance among Latinas experiencing IPV, deserve more research."
Assisting Immigrant and Refugee Women Abused by Ther Sponsors: A Guide for Service Providers (pdf)
This guide is written for social service providers in Canada who deal with immigrant and refugee women who are abused by their visa sponsors under the family sponsorship program.
Battered Immigrant Mexican Women’s Perspectives Regarding Abuse and Help-Seeking (pdf)
"A qualitative, pilot study employing in-depth ethno-graphic interviews was conducted to examine perceptions and attitudes towards abuse and the help-seeking behaviors of a sample of ten battered immigrant Mexican women. Findings indicated that participants’ attitudes about seeking help were influenced more by cultural factors (e.g., gender-role expectations, famialism) than by psycho-social stressors (e.g., immigrant status, financial dependency). Suggestions for further research and intervention with this population and a model of internal and external determinants of help-seeking behavior are presented."
Battered Immigrant Women Resources
This site provides a number of tools, books and brochures to help immigrant survivors of DV.
Battered Immigrants and U.S. Citizen Spouses (pdf)
Designed to help adjudicators who decide cases involving battered immigrant women to better understand and consider the evidence presented, this paper reviews and provided data about the dynamics of domestic violence experienced by immigrant women. The authors demonstrate how power and control over the immigration status of an immigrant partner enhances the likelihood and severity of abuse. Examples of immigration-related tactics of abuse are provided.
Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts
"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."
Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence against Women: A Resource Guide (pdf)
"This resource guide explores the ways in which poverty and violence are linked. It acknowledges the efforts of women’s groups, community organizations and service agencies that support low-income women to take control of and deal with the poverty and violence in their lives. Another area of focus is to inspire community-based groups to take action on poverty and violence issues by providing practical examples of what others are doing."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (pdf)
"A guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in Spanish."
Breaking the Silence: A Training Manual for Activists, Advocates, and Latina Organizers (Spanish) (pdf)
"The first ever guide for domestic violence service providers, activists, counselors and others focused on advancing the rights of battered immigrant women. Based on the FVPF's successful pilot project, the manual provides essential details on how to start organizing and maintaining a group of activists and counselors. This guide is also available in English."
Contents Include: Barriers Facing Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Effective Strategies for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Promising Models for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women. The .pdf file size is very large.
This manual provides suggestions and guidance on how to organize projects at improving services and eliminating barriers for ensuring safety for battered rural immigrant women.
Canadian Domestic Violence Policy and Indian Immigrant Women
"This article explores the problems of Indian immigrant women who face cultural constraints in accessing the benefits of Canadian policies for domestically abused women. They expose the pressures of cultural, social, and family ties that prevent these women from getting necessary help for domestic violence. The limitations of Canadian policies and programs for these women and the means to improve their access to these policies and programs are discussed."
This study explored the cultural context of how intimate partner violence affects accessibility to services for Haitian women. The study revealed that the nature and context of intimate partner violence in this immigrant community contribute to the women's hesitation to pursue services and that mainstream services were not accessible to them as well. The author concludes by giving suggesstions on overcoming these barriers and improving service delivery.
Cultural Beliefs and Service Utilization by Battered Arab Immigrant Women
"This study examines the relationship between cultural beliefs and the utilization of services among Arab immigrant women. Significant correlations were found between the holding of traditional attitudes toward gender in general and wife battering in particular by the women and the utilization of formal mental services. The study's limitations, policy implications, and the impacts of 9/11 on the Arab immigrant community and on their use of services are discussed."
Culture Handbook (pdf)
"This handbook is designed to be used by advocates and professionals who work with those who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. It provides some basic information on how to understand culture and begin the process of challenging oneself to become more aware of the ways in which culture impacts our work and the lives of those who are victims."
This handbook is intended for organizations of any size that are interested in developing a bilingual or multilingual legal referral hotline to assist recent immigrant communities with their legal needs. The handbook presents ten fundamental steps to guide any organization. The previous .pdf file containing the handbook is no longer available. The link is to an order form for those who are interested.
Domestic Violence in Communities of Color (pdf)
"This "Facts & Stats Collection" paper highlights specific issues and distinguishing dynamics that confront different women of color, including African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American/Alaskan Indian women."
Domestic Violence in the Vietnamese Immigrant Community: An Exploratory Study
"This study examines domestic violence in Vietnamese American families, focusing on changes in socioeconomic structure and culture, to identify factors associated with wife abuse. "
A toolkit to aid African victims of domestic violence in Ireland. It contains information about support services for all types of domestic violence and culturally specific approaches unique to African migrants. The toolkit also addresses emerging issues facing African migrants in Ireland.
Dowry and Its Link to Violence Against Women in India
"This article conducts a feminist psychological analysis of the dowry phenomenon, its link to domestic violence against women, and the role of the perpetrators. Existing and new explanations of the dowry system and its ramifications are explored. Psychologically based interventions and the implications of dowry related violence in the larger context of Asian Indians living in North America and the United Kingdom are discussed."
"This qualitative study examined understandings of sponsorship and marital/resettlement experiences among English-proficient and non-English-proficient South Asian brides who entered Canada after recent immigration policy changes to reduce sponsored women's vulnerability to maltreatment. The author found that English-proficient women were aware of their rights and permanent resident status, and reported significant integration support. In contrast, non-English-proficient women misunderstood sponsorship and faced multiple barriers to participation in Canadian life, along with severe abuse and neglect."
"This study documented the frequency and perceived effectiveness of battered Mexican-origin women's usage of formal and informal help and personal strategies to survive abuse. This study illuminates battered Mexican-origin women's strengths and barriers that impede their survival efforts."
"This article (a) provides an overview of the contemporary IMB (International Marriage Broker) industry, including a discussion of reasons underlying women's choices to use IMB agencies to meet and marry U.S.-based spouses, (b) discusses how this industry's marketing of marriages potentially endangers many women recruits, and (c) offers an update and analysis of new provisions under U.S. immigration law that strengthen protections available for women who immigrate as fiancés and spouses of U.S. citizens, including those in marriages arranged by IMBs."
Handbook for legislation on violence against women (pdf)
Based on the work of an expert group meeting in Vienna, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs developed a Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.
"In this paper, the author will examine both the effectiveness of feminist therapy and its limitations when counseling immigrant and racially visible women who have been abused. The author will also describe the reality of domestic violence among these women and how their needs differ from women in the dominant culture. Strategies for a more inclusive form of feminist therapy will also be offered as alternatives to existing modes of practice and assessment."
Help-Seeking Behavior Among Abused Immigrant Women: A Case of Vietnamese American Women
"The present study examines help-seeking behavior among abused Vietnamese American women to understand factors associated with their decisions to seek help. The study found that abused Vietnamese American women have sought help from their personal networks, the criminal justice system, and various victim service agencies. Data analyses suggest that the decisions of Vietnamese American women to reach out are complex and diverse and are shaped by various structural, cultural, and organizational factors."
Helping Culturally Diverse Victims of Interpersonal Violence: Avoiding Stereotypes & Meetings Needs
"This forum discusses the need to take people's culture into account when providing them with services for interpersonal violence and avoiding the trap of treating people in a cookie-cutter way, based on stereotypes about their culture. This forum is hosted by Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD. Lisa is a Core Faculty Member in Union Institute & University's Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated almost 20 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people."
This document describes the abuse of migrant domestic workers in the United States as well as laws, guidelines, procedures, and regulations concerning special visas and their enforcement.
How to obtain U Interim Relief: A Brief Manual for Advocates Assisting Immigrant Victims of Crime (pdf)
This manual provides U Visa information for advocates who assist victims of crime, including domestic violence. The author outlines the definition, requirements, and application process for U Visa Interim relief and also offers information on obtaining permanent residency and derivative status for family members.
Immigrant and Refugee Power and Control Wheel
Throughout the world, women are victims of domestic violence just as there are battered women in the United States. Immigrant and refugee women know that in their countries of origin, women have been tortured with sexual abuse by the army/rebels, kidnapped into prostitution, forced into marriages, killed in honor killings, used for sexual slavery, stoned to death and often experience other gender related abuses. This Immigrant and Refugee Power and Control Wheel is an adaptation of the Duluth Power and Conrol wheel created by attendees Immigrant & Refugee Women Support Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)
"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."
Immigrant South Asian Women at Greater Risk for Injury From Intimate Partner Violence
"Factors related to immigration may place South Asian immigrant women at increased risk for intimate partner violence. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relations between immigration-related factors and intimate partner violence among a sample of South Asian women residing in the United States."
Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence: Cultural Challenges and Available Legal Protections
This VAWNET document raises awareness of both the challenges faced by battered immigrant women and some of the legal protections now available to them.
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.
Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence: Common Experiences in Different Countries
"In this article, the authors assess the still limited literature on domestic violence among immigrant women in major receiving countries so as to begin delineating a framework to explain how immigrant specific factors exacerbate the already vulnerable position - as dictated by class, gender, and race - of immigrant women in domestic violence situations."
Immigration, Domestic Violence, and the Military: The Case of "Military Brides"
"This study addresses the abuse experiences of immigrant women married or engaged to U.S. servicemen and the response of military social service and legal systems.The findings confirm the role of military context, culture, and priorities in the abuse and the military systems' responses. The immigration circumstances and status interact with the military context to compound the abuse, further marginalize victims/survivors, and weaken the military social service and legal systems' response. The implications of the findings for military efforts to address domestic violence within the ranks are discussed."
Intersecting Inequalities: Immigrant Women of Colour, Violence and Health Care
This report focuses on racialized immigrant women who have experienced intimate violence and their access to the health care system. The paper reviews current literature and identifies key variables that contribute to immigrant women's vulnerability to violence and lack of access to health care. The response of health care service providers is also examined.
"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."
Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Laws and its Effects on Victims of Domestic Violence (word)
This paper warns that local police and prosecutors should be prepared for the predictable reduction in reporting of serious crimes if law enforcement officers chose to expand their duties to include the policing of immigration matters. The author argues roles of local police is not enforcing immigration law in securing safety for victims of domestic violence.
Mexico: Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review
An Amnesty International report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2009. The report highlighted problems in the area of violence against women, in particular, the prevalence of domestic violence in Mexico and the femicides in Ciudad Juarez along the U.S.-Mexican border.
This protocol/policy model intends to support domestic violence agencies in the state of Washington to increase and extend the services to immigrant and refugee women whose primary language is not English. However, this information will be relevant to any agency that is a recipient of federal funding.
Patriarchal Beliefs and Perceptions of Abuse among South Asian Immigrant Women
"This study investigates the relationship between South Asian immigrant women’s patriarchal beliefs and their perceptions of spousal abuse. Twenty-minute telephone surveys were conducted with 47 women.As hypothesized, higher agreement with patriarchal social norms predicted a decreased likelihood of identifying the woman in the vignette as a victim of spousal abuse. This finding is discussed in terms of its application to violence against women educational programs in the South Asian immigrant community."
Prevalence and Determinants of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Public Hospital Primary Care Patients (pdf)
"The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and depression correlates of intimate partner abuse among an ethnically diverse population of women patients."
Prevalence and Predictors of Physical Partner Abuse Among Mexican American Women
"This study determined the lifetime prevalence of physical abuse by a current partner among women of Mexican origin and assessed factors associated with abuse."
This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)
"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."
Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: a Literature Review (pdf)
"The review summarizes the learning from the Refugee Council Vulnerable Women’s Project and situates that learning within the wider context of what is known about rape and sexual violence. It provides a summary of evidence that is available about the prevalence of sexual violence against refugee women, and about access to justice in some of the countries from which the Project’s clients have fled."
Risk Factors for Abusive Relationships: A Study of Vietnamese American Immigrant Women
"This study identifies risk factors for Vietnamese American women's abuse. Patriarchal gender arrangements in the family, arguments about fulfilling gender and family roles, and partner's threat that divorce would compromise the participant's immigration status put women at risk for each type of abuse. "Picture brides" were at heightened risk for sexual abuse. For women with limited resources, education and interventions within the ethnic immigrant community are critical to addressing wife abuse."
Silent Epidemic: A Survey of Violence Among Young Asian American Women
This report examines the impact of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on young Asian American women. The study also examines levels of awareness, prevalence, and access to services. It also addresses cultural and institutional barriers that Asian American victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking may face.
Sita’s Trousseau: Restorative Justice, Domestic Violence, and South Asian Culture
"This article focuses on the particular cultural factors that affect South Asian women who are abused and immigrant South Asian women who are abused, in particular, in the restorative justice process. By exploring cultural practices and the icon of Sita, the mythological heroine of the Ramayana, this article demonstrates how the South Asian ideals of womanhood and wifehood help to create a mind-set whereby South Asian women are reluctant to advocate for themselves and are reluctant to leave."
State of World Population 2008 Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender, and Human Rights (pdf)
"This report gives an overview of the conceptual human rights frameworks as well as the practice of development, looking at the everyday events that make up people’s experience of development. The report presents some of the challenges and dilemmas of culturally sensitive strategies and suggests how partnerships can address them. The focus is on discussing and showcasing how culturally sensitive approaches are critical for the realization of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular."
Substance Abuse Among Southeast Asians in the U.S.: Implications for Practice and Research
"The literature on Asian-American substance use has shown a general increase in consumption and related problems due, in part, to the effects of acculturation toward U.S. drinking norms. Southeast Asians arc the most recent of Asian groups to come to the U.S., and have done so following an immigration and refugee experience that was among the most traumatic in recent memory resulting in significant levels of psychosocial distress. The combined influences of mental health disorders, which frequently co-occur with substance abuse, and acculturation pressures suggest that a significant increase in substance abuse problems may be in progress for Southeast Asian immigrants. The current article outlines the literature on substance abuse among Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians in the U.S., and makes tentative recommendations for assessment, treatment and future research."
"The author provides an overview of the history of congressional involvement with the Violence Against Women Act's (VAWA) provisions to protect immigrant victims of domestic violence and other forms of violence against women. He also outlines the reasoning behind, and purpose of, the most recent enhancements in legal protections for immigrant victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and foreign fiancés and spouses that were included in the recently reauthorized VAWA 2005, also describing the bipartisan work that resulted in this newest piece of legislation."
With this report, Minnesota Advocates highlights many of the innovative programs and legislative initiatives that advance the safety of battered refugee and immigrant women and the serious obstacles they face when accessing protection from domestic violence and in pursuing accountability for their abusers. Minnesota Advocates findings are derived from over 150 interviews, primarily in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, with judges, lawyers, prosecutors, public defenders, advocates, probation officers, immigration officials, medical service providers, interpreters, child protection employees and others regarding their interaction with refugee and immigrant women who have been battered. This report includes an analysis of governments compliance with their obligation to protect the human rights, safety and security of refugee and immigrant women who are victims of violence.
The Invisible Exodus: North Koreans in the People's Republic of China.
This report presents a comprehensive overview of this human rights disaster, grounded in first-hand accounts of North Koreans who escaped to the South, and humanitarian workers who aided them and many less fortunate. It examines the complex and harrowing decision of migrants to leave, an illegal act often deemed tantamount to treason; the months and even years of hiding in China; the desperate circumstances that lead women to sell themselves as sexual companions; and the vulnerability these migrants have that open them to every and any abuse.
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (Spanish) (pdf)
"The report compiles various articles that describe the intersection of and links between violence against women and the increasing number of HIV/AIDS transmissions among women. The publishers hope to prompt discussion and efforts focused on creating integrated policies and programs that address violence against women and HIV."
The Social Construction of Wife Abuse: Experiences of Asian Indian Women in the United States
"The terms wife abuse and battered woman were coined in the 1970s. Although such naming is meaningful, these social constructions are restrictive so that only a narrow range of behaviors and people fit these labels. With the help of interviews with Hindu Asian Indian immigrants, this article highlights the importance of including the experiences of diverse groups of women in any analysis of domestic violence. The study challenges the popular perception of abused women, specifically South Asian battered women, as passive victims."
The Use of Expert Testimony on Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)
"This Applied Research paper presents an overview of the uses of expert testimony, the qualifications and roles of experts, the literature on the use of testimony on the effects of battering, and considerations for future research."
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants (pdf)
Manual on the preparation, filing and processing of applications pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also includes detailed information on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Children Under Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, and U and T Non-Immigrant Visas (Victims of Crime and Trafficking). A good resource for advocates and legal professionals working with these victims.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 1-100 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 101-200 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 201-300 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants, Index of Appendices 301-380 (pdf)
Contains a list of appendices in connection with The VAWA Manual: Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrants.
UN study on Violence Against Children
"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "
This study examined the risk factors of intimate partner violence that Chinese women face. The rates women self-reported violence by their partners and conflict with in-laws were computed across socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The findings show that in-law conflict was a significant characteristic of women reporting violent victimization. The authors suggest that screenings for in-law conflict be included in the assessment of risk for intimate partner violence.
Victims of Intimate Partner Violence More Likely to Report Abuse From In-Laws
This study of South Asian women was designed to assess the association between intimate partner violence and emotional abuse by in-laws and to identify those forms of abuse perpetrated by in-laws. The findings indicate a significant relationship between intimate partner abuse and abuse from in-laws. The authors conlude that intimate partner violence interventions with South Asian women should take into account abuse from in-laws.
"Intimate partner violence against immigrant women is at epidemic proportions, but research has only recently begun to address the concern. A review of the legal, medical, and social science research literature reveals little data, but that which exist demonstrate that immigrant women's cultures, contexts, and legal status (a) increase vulnerability for abuse, (b) are used by batterers to control and abuse immigrant women, and (c) create barriers to women seeking and receiving help. Data also reveal that immigrant culture and context offer resiliency factors through which programs and policy can be used to better serve these populations."
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are also commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
"This article explores a hidden yet pervasive form of violence that marks the lives of young women from racialized immigrant communities in western Canada. The article suggests that racism constitutes a significant form of structural violence experienced by these young women. The author argues for an intersectional analysis that takes into consideration their heightened vulnerability to systemic and institutional forms of violence."