Help-Seeking in a National Sample of Victimized Latino Women

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine formal and informal help-seeking responses to interpersonal victimization among a national sample of Latino women. In addition, an examination of help-seeking by victimization type was undertaken. Data came from the Sexual Assault Among Latinas (SALAS) study that obtained help-seeking rates among a victimized subsample of Latino women (n = 714; 35.7% of a national sample). Results show a majority (76.6%) of the victimized participants engaged in some form of help-seeking with informal resources (68.9%) more often used than formal (32.5%). Medical attention was the type of formal help-seeking sought most often among victimized women who were injured (34.7%), and parents were the most common source of informal help-seeking (26.6%). However, logistic regression analyses show that help-seeking responses were significantly affected by type of victimization. Latino women who experienced childhood victimization were significantly less likely to engage in formal and informal help-seeking. Latino women who experienced stalking were significantly less likely to engage in formal help-seeking. Victimization with a weapon was significantly related to increased odds of formal help-seeking. Thus, women respond to violence in a way that is shaped by the dynamics of the victimization experience. Practice implications include the need to increase knowledge and availability of formal help-seeking venues.

The impact of a referral card-based intervention on intimate partner violence, psychosocial health, help-seeking and safety behaviour during pregnancy and postpartum: a randomized controlled trial

“…Some authors argue that women experiencing more severe violence (involving the use of deadly objects or the fear for one's life) seek more help [91], while others, as demonstrated in our results, do not reveal any sign of the connection between the impact of severity and their help-seeking behaviour [92]. Socio-demographics (including age, education, socioeconomic, and marital status) and psychosocial health have also been shown to influence help-seeking behaviour [91,[93][94][95]. Psychosocial dysfunction associated with IPV may negatively influence a woman's help/health seeking behaviour [94].…”

“…Psychosocial dysfunction associated with IPV may negatively influence a woman's help/health seeking behaviour [94]. In contrast, psychologically healthier individuals could be more likely or better equipped to reach out for help [93]. Hence, the low psychosocial health scores at baseline might have had an impact on the effect of the intervention.…”

Toward an integrated approach in research on interpersonal violence : Conceptual and methodological challenges

“…For severe physical assault the number was 29% for women and 2.4% for men. This is in line with international research findings that seeking help is more common among women and among victims of severe violence (Liang, Goodman, Tummala-Narra and Weintraub, 2005;Leone, Johnson and Cohan, 2007;Schreiber, Renneberg and Maercker, 2009;Ansara and Hindin, 2010;Sabina, Cuevas and Schally, 2012). Some of the gender differences found in help-seeking after intimate partner violence have been reported to disappear when the severity of violence is accounted for (Ansara and Hindin, 2010).…”

“…Female victims of intimate partner violence report a fear of escalating violence, shame, low self-esteem, cultural factors, obligations to family/partner, finances and a lack of knowledge about sources of help as reasons for not seeking medical help or withholding information about victimization to health care professionals (Rodriguez, Quiroga and Bauer, 1996;Hathaway, Willis and Zimmer, 2002;Liang et al, 2005;McCart, Smith and Sawyer, 2010;Sabina et al, 2012). In studies exploring what female victims of intimate partner violence want from their health care providers, a good patient-provider relationship characterized by trust, compassion, support and confidentiality is underlined.…”

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

“…IPV research has found that most women, some estimates as high as over 75 %, seek some sort of help (Kaukinen 2004;Sabina et al 2012). Help-seeking has been categorized as informal (comprising help from family and friends) and formal (including help from police, social service organizations, IPV support groups, shelters, counselors, and health care providers).…”