NCJ Number
194483
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 367-398
Date Published
March 2002
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This article focuses on the incidence of intimate partner violence against immigrant women.
Abstract
Recent studies with Latina, South Asian, and Korean immigrants demonstrate that 30 to 50 percent of these women have been sexually or physically victimized by a male intimate partner. Despite growing evidence that immigrant women (women not born in the United States and not of U.S. heritage) are at increased risk for such victimization, there have been few efforts to address intimate partner violence in growing immigrant communities. Violence against women is maintained in societies of many countries because of culture, social context, and laws that often uphold male control of female partners. These issues may increase the vulnerability of immigrant women to an even greater extent as these women live within two often-conflicting cultures and within a context in which they are isolated. Also, many of these women have undocumented or nonpermanent immigrant status, placing legal restrictions on them. Many batterers use the immigrant social context and their ability to control legal immigrant status against their immigrant partners. Cultural norms, immigrant context, and legal restrictions create significant barriers to battered immigrant women seeking and receiving help. Where resources permit, culture- and language-specific intimate partner violence service programs targeting single immigrant populations should be implemented. Battered immigrant women who choose to seek support most often turn to their local communities. Larger scale research designs incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches are needed to examine the role of immigration-related stressors, such as cross-cultural gender role ideology conflicts, economic instability, and racism, on intimate partner violence against diverse populations of immigrant women. Those working with immigrant women, such as immigration judges, should be required to receive training in intimate partner violence. 4 tables, 3 notes, 63 references