Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Understanding domestic violence resource utilisation and survivor solutions among immigrant and refugee women: introduction to the special issue
Other Titles:	Journal of interpersonal violence
Authors:	Senturia, Kirsten Bhuyan, Rupaleem
Keywords:	Refugee communities;Cross-cultural;CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse)
Categories:	Culturally and Linguistically Diverse / Migrant / Refugee communities
Year:	2005
Publisher:	Sage Publications
Citation:	20 (8), August 2005
Notes:	This article outlines domestic violence experienced by immigrant and refugee women in the US context. Immigrants differ in terms of their history of immigration, social status in the US and changes to cultural practices within their communities. Research has shown that cultural factors related to language, religion, traditional help-seeking behaviour, social networks and also the extent of acculturation influences how a woman responds to partner abuse. Structural issues (financial resources, social support, availability of culturally competent help, legal immigrant status and knowledge of their rights) could also influence women’s options. The article provides an overview of other articles in this special issue of the journal, as using community-based participatory action research to explore how different cultural communities respond to domestic violence. Although there were similarities between groups and common themes across ethnicities, each community showed particular details that make the women’s experiences unique. This issue (volume 20, number 8) contains articles that looked at women coming from war-torn regions of the world, where domestic violence occurs in the context of historic trauma from war and migration. For women in the Cambodian, Vietnamese and Ethiopian communities, domestic violence is one more experience of violence in addition to others experienced and witnessed prior to immigration. For women in the Cambodian and Vietnamese communities, there was violence perpetrated by extended family members. Studies have shown that Russian women in the US, who immigrated as ‘mail order’ brides, have to overcome isolation and dependence on their American husbands. However, unique to the Russian women was their ability as survivors to access many services once they became informed and connected. It also refers to the shortcomings of research that clusters women of colour and immigrant and refugee women into larger ethnic groups, as subtle distinctions between and within cultural groups could have an impact on how women experience and respond to domestic violence. Recommendations from each article in this special issue also relate to systems (public sector systems), service (community-based services), and community levels.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/12417
ISSN:	0886-2605
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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