Victims of Intimate Partner Violence More Likely to Report Abuse From In-Laws

• NCJ Number: 215809
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 12 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2006 Pages: 936-949
• Author(s): Anita Raj; Kai N. Livramento; M. Christina Santana; Jhumka Gupta; Jay G. Silverman
• Date Published: October 2006
• Length: 14 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Boston University School of Public Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and emotional abuse by in-laws among South Asians living in the United States and sought to identify the forms of abuse perpetrated by in-laws.

Abstract

Results indicated that there was a significant relationship between IPV and abuse from in-laws. More specifically, among participants reporting IPV in their current marital relationship, 15.4 percent also reported emotional abuse from in-laws. Among the forms of abuse perpetrated by in-laws were various forms of emotional abuse including isolation, social and economic control, verbal abuse and domestic servitude; awareness or support of IPV; and direct physical abuse. The findings suggest that in-laws’ abuse of South Asian women is rooted in a patriarchal cultural tradition that views females as inferior. The findings also suggest the need to assess the role of in-laws in domestic abuse suffered by South Asian women. The research involved two components: (1) a survey of 210 South Asian women currently in marital heterosexual relationships, and (2) in-depth interviews with 23 South Asian women reporting a history of IPV from a male partner. Participants in the survey portion of the study were recruited via community outreach between August 2001 and January 2002. Surveys measured demographics, years in the United States, relationship status and length, physical abuse, sexual abuse, injury from abuse, and abuse from in-laws. Participants for the interview portion were recruited via referral from community leaders and via outreach to all survey participants. Interviews focused on perceptions of their relationships with their abusive husbands, types of abuse experienced, family involvement and awareness of abuse, current physical and mental health status, and social, legal, and health services utilization. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the survey responses while the interviews were analyzed for emerging themes. Further research is needed on the relationship between IPV and abuse by in-laws, particularly in terms of how it impacts diverse racial/ethnic populations. References