Breaking the silence: Exploring the sociocultural context of domestic violence for Chinese migrant women in Australia

Abstract

This article explores the sociocultural context of domestic and family violence (DFV) for Chinese migrant women in Australia, with a focus on women from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews, the study highlights how sociocultural values such as face (面子), family harmony, family hierarchy, and filial piety shape women’s perceptions of DFV and affect their help-seeking decisions. These cultural norms are also shown to be manipulated by perpetrators as tools of coercive control. The findings reveal the enduring influence of patriarchal and Confucian ideologies and underscore the need for culturally nuanced responses to DFV. The authors argue for greater attention to ethnic-specific experiences in policy and service design, recommending both mainstream and multicultural services adapt to better support Chinese migrant women facing DFV.