Complex Dynamics: A Qualitative Analysis of Immediate Triggers and Escalating Factors Contributing to Intimate Partner Violence Among Afghan Women across Contexts

Background and Purpose: A growing body of evidence highlights the extent to which women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in contexts marked by armed conflicts and political unrest. Afghanistan ranks among the highest estimated IPV prevalence rates; yet, how IPV manifests when Afghans resettle as refugees in another country has not been rigorously studied. This project sought to advance knowledge of IPV against women who fled Afghanistan since the 2021 evacuation and resettled in the U.S. The current analysis focused specifically on examining proximal triggers and escalating factors described by participants as events and circumstances sparking and/or escalating incidents of IPV in Afghanistan, in transit, and in the U.S.

Methods: Two community partners, the International Rescue Committee and Women for Afghan Women, guided recruitment of adult women who fled Afghanistan, disclosed experiencing IPV, and received services. A purposive sample of 19 women gave their informed consent to participate in virtual or in-person semi-structured interviews with the Principal Investigator and a trained language interpreter. Interviews were recorded and professional transcribed. A framework analytical approach was used to discern patterns and trends across contexts. With IRB oversight, the project adhered to ethical and safety standards to ensure the confidentiality and well-being of study participants.

Results: The analysis identified clear patterns in proximal triggers and escalating factors, seven of which were the most common. (1) In-laws instigating violence was the most frequently mentioned trigger in Afghanistan, transit, and the U.S. This primarily involved in-laws instructing and urging men to use violence to control and punish their wives for perceived affronts, infractions, and disobedience. (2) Pregnancy/giving birth was the second most frequently mentioned trigger and long-term escalator of IPV in Afghanistan, while the least commonly mentioned in the U.S. (3) Women’s contact with her natal family was a frequent trigger of arguments and violence in Afghanistan and in the U.S., leading women to discourage their families from continuing to visit/contact them. (4) Women failing to convey complete submission to her husband and/or in-laws was a trigger for violence in Afghanistan and the U.S.; infractions included not wearing hijab, not responding quickly enough to orders, and not behaving in accordance with customs. (5) Women interacting with males of any age, family or non-family, was a significant trigger across contexts, and especially fraught in transit. (6) Women speaking to their husbands, in-laws, and/or houseguest was also a salient trigger for specific incidents of IPV, more frequently in Afghanistan than in the U.S. (7) Women seeking self-improvement (e.g., pursuing education/employment) was both a consistently described trigger and escalator of IPV both in Afghanistan and the U.S.

Conclusions and Implications: The analysis brings into focus the complex role in-laws play in Afghan women’s experiences of IPV across contexts, raising important considerations for designing and implementing interventions focused on reducing and mitigating deleterious effects of IPV. Findings must be situated within specific cultural and contextual considerations, and it is important to note that women were oftentimes unaware of their in-laws’ culturally-specific norms/expectations of new wives joining the family.