146P
Cultural and Structural Impact of Domestic Violence
Although there is considerable literature on the issue of domestic violence, this remained under-researched and unexplored in the context of South Asian women’s experience of domestic violence in Hong Kong. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature and to address this lack of documentation, using a qualitative approach. The purpose for using a qualitative approach was to acquire an in-depth understanding of the experiences and perceptions of domestic violence in the women’s own words, hearing their accounts and privileging their subjective views.
An in-depth qualitative interview was conducted with fourteen South Asian immigrant women who had experienced domestic violence. Additionally, six helping professionals were interviewed from four social service agencies. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling.
The findings of this study revealed that women’s perceptions, experiences and responses in the face of domestic violence were influenced and determined by a multitude of factors, such as traditional beliefs and values, role of wife and mother, importance of family and marriage, stigma of divorce, gender inequality. Further analysis reveals that structural factors including women’s legal status, immigration and availability of services, increase women’s vulnerability to abuse. Additionally, interviews with six helping professionals from four social service agencies that provided services for ethnic minorities also highlighted the gap in services for ethnic minority women experiencing domestic violence in Hong Kong.
The present study utilised the ecological model to demonstrate intervention and policy at four levels-by merging the person, family, community and society for effective intervention and prevention for South Asian women experiencing domestic violence in the context of Hong Kong.
This study is the first empirical qualitative research to examine the domestic violence experiences of South Asian women in Hong Kong. The findings of this study also highlight that domestic violence in intimate relationships cannot be separated from the personal, situational and sociocultural factors connected to it. Therefore, this study not only enhances our understanding about domestic violence, but also supports and extends our knowledge of ethnicity, gender, and the need for appropriate service provision. Study limitations and areas for future research are also highlighted.