Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) research highlights unique immigration-related risk factors, abusive tactics, and barriers to seeking help. With the aim of developing practice-informed ...guidance, data from nine focus groups (N = 57) were analyzed thematically to examine practitioners’ experiences and approaches to risk assessment with survivors of IPV who are immigrants and refugees. Participants noted the importance of fostering relationships and trust in client disclosure and assessment of risk. Participants highlighted using a conversation-based approach; carefully chosen words; and open-ended, indirect, and probing questions to help clients feel at ease and generate information regarding risk. Additionally, practitioners emphasized the importance of conducting risk assessment and client education in concert with safety and service planning. However, safety and service planning must account for variations in context and language, as well as social pressures to keep families together. The adaptation of risk assessments to reflect immigrant experiences is a critical step forward. Nevertheless, listening to practitioners with expertise serving immigrant and refugee IPV survivors and developing additional guidance on how to use risk assessment tools and engage survivors are paramount to expanding relevant and responsive domestic violence services for diverse groups.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a national and international public health and human rights concern. Immigrant women are disproportionately affected by IPV that includes homicides. This study ...explored the perspectives of survivors of IPV, who are immigrants to the United States, regarding their sources of strength that enhance their safety and promote coping in abusive relationships. Data for this qualitative study were collected from ethnically diverse immigrant women residing in Massachusetts, Arizona, Virginia, Washington, D.C., New York, Minnesota, and California, using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Eighty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with adult immigrant survivors of IPV who self-identified as Asian (n = 30), Latina (n = 30), and African (n = 23). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Women identified both external (e.g., community support, support from social service agencies) and internal (e.g., optimism, faith, beliefs) sources of strength. The study highlights how these sources can adequately address needs of survivors and offers areas for improvement in services for survivors. The findings are informative for practitioners serving immigrant survivors of IPV in legal, social service, and physical and mental health settings.
