Immigration Status-Related Intimate Partner Violence and Financial Strain: The Role of Financial Safety and Planning

Background and Purpose: Immigration status-related intimate partner violence (IPV) presents unique challenges for immigrant women, often exacerbating their vulnerabilities. IPV manifested through psychological, physical, sexual violence, and economic abuse, has a well-documented impact on economic empowerment and financial well-being among survivors. These forms of IPV can contribute to financial strain by limiting access to employment, education, and financial resources. However, the specific effects of immigration status-related violence on financial strain remain unknown. This gap is particularly concerning given that immigrant women often face precarious financial situations. This study aims to address this gap by examining (1) the association between immigration status-related IPV and financial strain among immigrant IPV survivors and (2) whether financial safety and planning moderates this relationship.

Methods: Data were collected cross-sectionally using structured interviews with English and Spanish-speaking IPV survivors from seven organizations across New Jersey, New York, and Puerto Rico. A total of 407 women were interviewed from 2018 to 2020 and about 51% (n = 206) were foreign-born (i.e., not born in the US, including Puerto Rico). The final analytical sample (n = 192) excluded participants for whom all of the immigration status-related IPV questions (e.g., “threatened to take your children out of the country,” “prevented you from learning English,” and “denied you access to your immigration documents”) were non-applicable. Over half of the participants (67%) were between the ages of 30 and 49, and 41% reported an annual household income of less than $10,000.

Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) nested models were used to estimate the association between immigration stratus control tactics and financial strain as well as the moderating effects of financial safety and planning. Regression models included socio-demographic characteristics and other forms of IPV (i.e., sexual, psychological, and physical violence and economic abuse).

Results: Results indicate a positive relationship between immigration status-related IPV and financial strain and this association remained robust in all OLS models. When controlling for covariates, the results suggest an increase of 0.16, on a scale from 0 to 4, in participants’ financial strain for each unit increase in participants’ reported frequency of immigration status-related IPV (p<.05).

Additionally, the relationship between immigration status-related IPV and financial strain is moderated by financial safety and planning. Specifically, as the number of strategies related to financial safety and planning increases, the positive relationship between immigration status-related IPV and financial strain decreases (coef= -.05; p<.01).

Conclusions and Implications: This study highlights the importance of enhancing financial safety and planning skills among immigrant IPV survivors, as a mean to mitigate financial strain and improve overall well-being. However, financial strategies for this group of women should be tailored to potential access limitations to formal resources due to their immigration status related barriers. Social work practitioners and policymakers need to prioritize the development and implementation of culturally sensitive and accessible financial literacy programs and resources. Such interventions can provide immigrant women with the tools necessary to navigate and overcome the financial challenges caused by immigration status-related IPV, supporting their resilience and enhancing their quality of life.