Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: Barriers to Seeking Help Among Asian Immigrants

Background and Purpose: Asian Americans face unique challenges when immigrating to the United States, including intimate partner violence (IPV), which occurs at rates higher than the national average. The complexity of IPV is heightened in immigrant communities, where survivors face unique practical (e.g., language barrier, immigration status) and cultural barriers (e.g., male dominance, prioritization of family over individual needs) to seeking help. The purpose of this study is to examine the personal and environmental challenges that Asian IPV survivors in the United States face when attempting to access support.

Methods: In collaboration with two not-for-profit agencies located in large metropolitan areas, we surveyed 123 Asian American IPV survivors. Two-thirds of respondents identified as Korean, followed by Chinese, Mongolian, and other ethnicities. Participants’ ages ranged between 24 and 65 (Mean = 44.2 years old), and the number of years living in the United States ranged between 1 and 40 (mean = 14.5 years). Respondents completed an abbreviated version of the Intimate Partner Violence Stigma Scale (11 items) and reported barriers to accessing the criminal justice system. Participants also completed three open-ended questions on their experience when seeking help from others, why they did or did not contact the police for help, and anything else about their experience of seeking help.

Results: Survivors identified fear of being blamed, feelings of shame, and lack of community support following disclosure as significant barriers to seeking help from community members. In addition, respondents identified barriers to accessing the criminal justice system, including practical barriers (e.g., language, cost, and transportation), lack of knowledge about the system and how to contact it, fears about their partner’s reaction, getting the abuser in trouble, losing custody of the children, and upsetting the extended family. A small group expressed distrust in the police and the justice system. Over two-thirds of participants had contacted the police because of IPV, and half had requested a restraining order or intended to request one. The agency had offered legal advocacy to two-thirds of them. Most participants were unfamiliar with the Violence Against Women Act (61.2%) and U-Visa (73.3%).

Conclusions and Implications: The results show interconnected cultural and practical challenges that health workers, educators, legal and criminal justice partners, and advocates must address. First, it is critical to change community norms related to IPV victimization, ensuring that the blame is on the perpetrator, not the victim. Second, community members should be educated about how to support survivors safely and appropriately. By developing close relationships with faith leaders, social workers can provide training to them and their congregation members on IPV in general, the difficulties survivors face when leaving the abusers, and the best ways to support survivors, which would help change community norms about IPV and victim blaming. Third, educating IPV survivors about their legal rights and available protections is crucial in promoting their autonomy, safety, and access to justice. Finally, educating the criminal justice system on how to better help and support the survivors is vital to removing the barriers and promoting help-seeking.