Do Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Differ in Regards to Their Help-Seeking? A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Socio-cultural and sociopolitical influences on women's experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their decision-making processes are not well-understood. This study characterizes help-seeking behaviors of Hispanic and non-Hispanic survivors using Liang et al.'s analytical framework and identifies differences in barriers to help-seeking between these cultural groups. Transcripts from two focus groups of non-Hispanic survivors and one focus group of Hispanic survivors were coded to identify similar and dissimilar factors impacting Liang et al.'s three stages of help-seeking. Though several barriers were common, Hispanic participants felt informal support systems were inaccessible and being involved in IPV was shaming. They preferred to not seek help but act to change their circumstances. Non-Hispanic participants described extensive experience with formal systems, but relied on strong self-advocacy skills for effectiveness. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the socio-cultural context in which decision-making processes occur in order to provide the best support to IPV survivors.

Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Survivors’ Help-Seeking

“…Seeking informal help might be contingent upon the survivor’s cultural background, which might emphasize a collectivistic culture and prefer utilizing informal help for many social problems over going for outside help (Morrison et al, 2006). However, seeking only informal help, and forgoing formal help altogether, might put the survivor at an increased risk from unattended needs that are likely to be better addressed by formal help (Mookerjee, Cerulli, Fernandez, & Chin, 2015; Morrison et al, 2006;A. West & Wandrei, 2002).…”

“…A great body of literature has been devoted to exploring IPV survivors’ help-seeking, but mostly with a single type of service, such as shelters (Stork, 2008), mental health services (Woodcock, 2007), the police (Bonomi, Holt, Martin, & Thompson, 2009), and welfare participation (Cheng, 2013). Survivors’ use, or nonuse, of either formal or informal help is not well understood (Mookerjee et al, 2015; Morrison et al, 2006; A. West & Wandrei, 2002).…”

Effect of Victimization and Perceived Support on Maintenance of Dating Relationships Among College Students in Guadalajara, Mexico

“…In a recent study conducted on Latino families living in the United Studies, adolescents mentioned the importance of having their parents show support without overreacting to the situation of violence (Black & Preble, 2016). The ambivalence between the expectation of help and fear of disapproval from informal networks frequently appears in the literature (Overstreet & Quinn, 2013; Sylaska & Edwards, 2014) and seems to be particularly important among the Latino population (Kyriakakis, 2014; Martínez & Solís, 2009; Mookerjee, Cerulli, Fernández, & Chin, 2015; Ortega et al, 2016; Rizo & Macy, 2011).…”

The efficacy of narrative exposure therapy in a sample of Iranian women exposed to ongoing intimate partner violence—A randomized controlled trial

“…Most will stay in the abusive relationship even when troubled by adverse physical and mental health consequences (Kishor & Johnson, 2004). Reasons cited by these women include preserving their relationship and protecting their partners from criminal prosecution, external barriers such as financial concerns, lack of alternatives, cultural factors, pressure from their social network, lack of legal and social support, abusive partner control tactics, or depletion of psychological resources necessary for decision making due to IPV-related mental health problems (Arias & Pape, 1999;Fugate Leslie Landis et al, 2005;Hughes & Jones, 2000;Mookerjee, Cerulli, Fernandez, & Chin, 2015;Overstreet & Quinn, 2013;Rodríguez, Valentine, Son, & Marjani, 2010;Rolling & Brosi, 2010).…”