Social Integration and Domestic Violence Support in an Indigenous Community: Women’s Recommendations of Formal Versus Informal Sources of Support

Abstract

Throughout North America, indigenous women experience higher rates of intimate partner violence and sexual violence than any other ethnic group, and so it is of particular importance to understand sources of support for Native American women. In this article, we use social network analysis to study the relationship between social integration and women's access to domestic violence support by examining the recommendations they would give to another woman in need. We ask two main questions: First, are less integrated women more likely to make no recommendation at all when compared with more socially integrated women? Second, are less integrated women more likely than more integrated women to nominate a formal source of support rather than an informal one? We use network data collected from interviews with 158 Canadian women residing in an indigenous community to measure their access to support. We find that, in general, less integrated women are less likely to make a recommendation than more integrated women. However, when they do make a recommendation, less integrated women are more likely to recommend a formal source of support than women who are more integrated. These results add to our understanding of how access to two types of domestic violence support is embedded in the larger set of social relations of an indigenous community.

Indigenous Peoples’ Help-Seeking Behaviors for Family Violence: A Scoping Review

“…The Indigenous voices collected in these articles were mostly from women; however, there was one study that involved seven men (Prentice, Blair, & O’Mullan, 2017), and one transgender individual was included in Dylan, Regehr, and Alaggia’s study (2008). Of the 15 studies, 11 used qualitative methods (Bates, Hancock, & Peterkin, 2001; Burnette, 2015; Dylan, Regehr, & Alaggia, 2008; Hoeata, Nikora, Wendy, Young-Hauser, & Robertson, 2011; Jones, 2008; Lumby & Farrelly, 2009; McGillivray & Comaskey, 1999; Oneha, Magnussen, & Shoultz, 2010; Ryan & Wilson, 2010; Spangaro et al, 2016; Taylor & Putt, 2007), and there were four mixed-methods studies (Evans-Campbell, Lindhorst, Huang, & Walters, 2006; Gauthier, Francisco, Khan, & Dombrowski, 2018; Prentice et al, 2017; Tichy, Becker, & Sisco, 2009). Study sample sizes ranged from 2 participants (Hoeata et al, 2011) to 158 participants (Gauthier et al, 2018) with the larger studies involving mixed methods.…”

“…Of the 15 studies, 11 used qualitative methods (Bates, Hancock, & Peterkin, 2001; Burnette, 2015; Dylan, Regehr, & Alaggia, 2008; Hoeata, Nikora, Wendy, Young-Hauser, & Robertson, 2011; Jones, 2008; Lumby & Farrelly, 2009; McGillivray & Comaskey, 1999; Oneha, Magnussen, & Shoultz, 2010; Ryan & Wilson, 2010; Spangaro et al, 2016; Taylor & Putt, 2007), and there were four mixed-methods studies (Evans-Campbell, Lindhorst, Huang, & Walters, 2006; Gauthier, Francisco, Khan, & Dombrowski, 2018; Prentice et al, 2017; Tichy, Becker, & Sisco, 2009). Study sample sizes ranged from 2 participants (Hoeata et al, 2011) to 158 participants (Gauthier et al, 2018) with the larger studies involving mixed methods. Most participants were recruited through service providers or through their connection with an existing service (Bates et al, 2001; Burnette, 2015; Dylan et al, 2008; Evans-Campbell et al, 2006; Hoeata et al, 2011; McGillivray & Comaskey, 1999; Oneha et al, 2010; Ryan & Wilson, 2010; Spangaro et al, 2016; Taylor & Putt, 2007).…”

“…Those barriers identified comprise the subthemes of this section. Four of the studies reported that some Indigenous participants had not sought any help following an experience of FV (Evans-Campbell et al, 2006; Gauthier et al, 2018; Spangaro et al, 2016; Tichy et al, 2009). Apart from Hoeata et al’s research (2011)—which only had two Maori participants—the only studies that did not directly state that help had been avoided at some time were those where participants were recruited from support services (Burnette, 2015; Dylan et al, 2008; McGillivray & Comaskey, 1999).…”

“…When Indigenous peoples are choosing to seek support, the evidence suggested that they are mostly turning to informal networks rather than formal services (Evans-Campbell et al, 2006; Gauthier et al, 2018; Oneha et al, 2010). Many of the articles indicated that Indigenous peoples were more likely to turn to their inner circle of friends, families, elders, or traditional/native healing rather than pursue formalized pathways to support (Evans-Campbell et al, 2006; Gauthier et al, 2018; Oneha et al, 2010; Taylor & Putt, 2007). Informal support offered by loved ones included anything from listening, to insisting on calling the police for their loved one, or even to retribution seeking (Oneha et al, 2010).…”

“…This usually occurred when Indigenous people perceived that they had little other choice. The studies that indicated that Indigenous peoples do seek formal or “professional” support when experiencing FV referred to justice and legal support, health organizations, community organizations, Aboriginal-specific organizations, women’s support services, and specialist FV organizations, including refuges (Bates et al, 2001; Burnette, 2015; Dylan et al, 2008; Evans-Campbell et al, 2006; Gauthier et al, 2018; Lumby & Farrelly, 2009; Oneha et al, 2010; Prentice et al, 2017; Ryan & Wilson, 2010; Spangaro et al, 2016; Taylor & Putt, 2007).…”