Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Dec;10(4):348-365.
doi: 10.1007/s12552-018-9247-z. Epub 2018 Aug 29.

Multilevel Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Violence Among African, Asian, and Latina Immigrant and Refugee Women: Perceptions of Effective Safety Planning Interventions

Bushra Sabri  1 , Nkiru Nnawulezi  2 , Veronica P S Njie-Carr  3 , Jill Messing  4 , Allison Ward-Lasher  4 , Carmen Alvarez  1 , Jacquelyn C Campbell  1
Affiliations

Multilevel Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Violence Among African, Asian, and Latina Immigrant and Refugee Women: Perceptions of Effective Safety Planning Interventions

Bushra Sabri et al. Race Soc Probl. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Immigrant and refugee women are at high risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) and intimate partner homicide (IPH). Given the growing number of immigrants and refugees in the US and the concerns about IPV and IPH among immigrant and refugee groups, this paper aims to identify survivors and practitioners' perceptions of a) common and culturally specific risk and protective factors for IPV and IPH for immigrant and refugee women and b) areas of safety planning interventions for survivors who are at risk for severe or lethal violence by an intimate partner. Qualitative data for this multi-site study were collected from women and practitioners residing in seven geographically diverse US locations. Eighty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with adult immigrant and refugee survivors of IPV, who identified as Asian (n=30), Latina (n=30), and African (n=23). Additionally, nine focus groups and five key informant interviews were conducted with practitioners (n=62) who serve immigrant and refugee survivors of IPV. Results revealed multilevel risk and protective factors for IPV/IPH found at the societal-level (e.g., patriarchal cultural norms), relationship-level (e.g., partner abusive behaviors), and individual-level (e.g., acculturation in the US). These findings can inform the development of culturally responsive risk assessment and safety planning interventions across legal, social service, and healthcare settings.

Keywords: immigrant; intimate partner violence; refugee; safety.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
An Ecological Framework for Common Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Violence Among Immigrant and Refugee Women
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
An Ecological Framework for Culturally Specifc Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Violence Among Immigrant and Refugee Women
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adeyinka A, Chu T, Keatley E, & Rasmussen A (2013). Research on victim of intimate partner violence: Intimate partner violence among West African immigrants. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma, 22, 109–126. doi: 10.1080/10926771.2013.719592 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ahmad F, Driver N, McNally MJ, & Stewart DE (2009). “Why doesn't she seek help for partner abuse?” An exploratory study with South Asian immigrant women. Social Science & Medicine, 69(4), 613–622. doi:10.016/j.socscimed.2009.06.011 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Akinsulure-Smith A, Chu T, Keatley E, & Rasmussen A (2013). Intimate partner violence among West African immigrants. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 22(2), 109–126. doi: 10.1080/10926771.2013.719592 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Amanor-Boadu Y, Messing JT, Stith SM, Anderson JR, O'Sullivan C, & Campbell JC (2012). Immigrant and non-immigrant women: Factors that predict leaving an abusive relationship. Violence Against Women, 18(5), 611–633 - PubMed
    1. American Immigration Council (2014). Immigrant women in the United States: A portrait of demographic diversity. Retrieved from https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrant-women-unit...

LinkOut - more resources