Perceived Community Support and Acceptance of Domestic Violence Among Asian Immigrants: Moderating Effect of Nativity Status

Background: Domestic violence (DV) affects all communities. However, its prevalence and nature are unique to immigrant communities, being more prevalent among Asian immigrants than the national average. Factors contributing to the increased probability of DV among immigrants are: 1) barriers to help-seeking due to language barriers or lack of resources, and 2) socio-cultural values contributing to justifying and accepting DV. Membership in ethnic communities can influence these factors by providing resources and social networks. Conversely, they can reinforce unique family and cultural values that promote acceptance of DV and discourage help-seeking. According to the theory of planned behavior (TPB), beliefs about the expectations and behaviors of others (normative beliefs) determine subjective norms (individual’s perception about a particular behavior). The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the perceived community’s support for DV survivors (normative beliefs) on individual acceptance of DV (subjective norms) and to investigate how their nativity status (US-born or not) moderates the relationship.

Methods: The data were collected through a cross-sectional survey conducted in-person and online from the two states in the US (N=392). All participants were Asian or Asian American, with a mean age of 49.3 (SD=16.01). Participants completed the “perceived community support for DV victims” (CS) (e.g., People will blame me if I leave the abusive relationship; 4 items; α=.74) and “acceptance of domestic violence” (ADV) (e.g., Hitting partner is sometimes justified; 4 items; α =.75) scales. A moderated regression analysis was conducted to examine the effect of nativity status on the relationship between CS and ADV. Analyses accounted for the effect of the respondent’s age, gender, religious affiliation, and education level.

Results: Among participants, 71.8% were female, and 27.5% were male. Of them, 5.8% were born in the US, and 94.3% immigrated from other countries. Furthermore, 60.8% of participants indicated that they had a bachelor’s degree or higher education. Also, 43.4% of them were affiliated with a church. This model explained 14.1% of variance of ADV (F=8.974, p < 0.001). A high level of CS was associated with a low level of ADV (B=-.217, p < 0.001). US birth status predicted a low level of ADV (B=-6.565, p < 0.05). As a result of verifying the moderating effect of nativity status, the relationship between CS and ADV was significant only in immigrant populations (B=-.217, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The study finding confirms the TPB, with high levels of perceived community support for DV survivors contributing to the attitude that denounces DV. It also builds evidence that these effects vary by nativity status. A possible explanation is that immigrants are more likely to be influenced by the expectations and behaviors of others in the community than those born in the US. Future studies should re-examine this influence through more specific moderation, such as length of stay in the US or acculturation status. These findings suggest that effective interventions to prevent and mitigate DV must incorporate the values and perspectives of the community from which survivors come.