Help-Seeking for Intimate Partner and Family Violence Among Tertiary Students in Australia: Nature, Extent, and Cross-Cultural Differences

Abstract

Intimate partner and family violence (IPFV) is highly prevalent among tertiary students in Australia and internationally. Yet, relatively little is known about the help-seeking patterns of student victim-survivors and how these patterns vary cross-culturally. This study examined formal help-seeking needs, behaviors, and barriers among women tertiary students in Australia who had experienced IPFV and cross-cultural differences therein. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from adult women studying at tertiary education institutions across Australia. Those who reported IPFV (physical, sexual, psychological, and/or financial) victimization during their adult lives were included in this study (N = 1,606). Descriptive statistics were calculated for the full sample and by cultural identity. A series of logistic regression analyses was conducted to assess associations between culture and help-seeking, unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographic factors (gender identity, age, area, employment, and institution type). Less than half (48.7%) of participants had sought formal help, despite a larger proportion (66.2%) perceiving a need for such help. Two thirds (65.5%) of participants reported barriers to help-seeking, which were predominantly attitudinal or normative in nature. Cultural identity was significantly associated with help-seeking in the unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Cultural minority students were generally less likely to perceive a need for help and to seek help than the majority. Continued efforts are needed to promote and facilitate formal help-seeking for IPFV among tertiary students, and particularly among cultural minority students. Further work is needed to understand the factors that contribute to cultural inequalities in help-seeking and to inform culturally responsive support services for student victim-survivors.

Factors associated with non-help-seeking among women victims of physical or sexual intimate partner violence in Peru: Findings from the National Demographic and Family Health Survey, 2017 to 2019

“…Regarding the frequency of non-help-seeking, we found that around 6 out of 10 women who suffered violence at some point in their lives have not sought help after physical or sexual IPV. In this regard, a study that evaluated DHS data from 31 countries found that around 65.1% of women had not sought any help (Goodson & Hayes, 2021), and previous studies carried out in Australia, India, and Ethiopia reported a frequency of no help of 51.3, 75.9, and 77.5%, respectively (Handebo et al, 2021;Kanougiya et al, 2022;Zark et al, 2023), with these values being similar to those reported in the present study. These studies reported that IPV victims generally seek informal help, which explains their tendency to seek support within the immediate environment due to their trust in family, friends, or neighbors (Rohn & Tenkorang, 2022).…”