Barriers Preventing Latina Immigrants from Seeking Advocacy Services for Domestic Violence Victims: A Qualitative Analysis

Out of the shadows: Shedding light on intimate partner homicide amongLatinawomen

“…Latinas are disproportionately vulnerable to domestic violence (Harper, ; McFarlane, ; Reina & Lohman, ). Factors such as immigration status, racial discrimination, gender and economic inequality, unstable residency status, language barriers, acculturation challenges, and poverty exacerbate Latinas' experiences of male violence (Mattson & Rodriguez, ; Menjívar, ; Rivera, ; Salcido & Adelman, ).…”

“…Factors such as immigration status, racial discrimination, gender and economic inequality, unstable residency status, language barriers, acculturation challenges, and poverty exacerbate Latinas' experiences of male violence (Mattson & Rodriguez, ; Menjívar, ; Rivera, ; Salcido & Adelman, ). Latina immigrants also face compounded challenges surviving and coping with domestic violence (Reina & Lohman, ; Vidales, ) due to fear of deportation (undocumented Latina immigrants) and difficulties acculturating (both documented and undocumented Latina immigrants). Acculturation can be defined as “the process of becoming ‘American,’ accustomed to and adopting U.S. cultural traits and social customs” (Erez & Harper, in press, n.p.).…”

“…Acculturation can be defined as “the process of becoming ‘American,’ accustomed to and adopting U.S. cultural traits and social customs” (Erez & Harper, in press, n.p.). Collectively, these factors work to diminish Latinas' access to domestic violence resources (Reina & Lohman, ; Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, ) that may reduce IPH risk (Harper, ). Some research suggests that increased availability of some domestic violence resources decreases rates of IPH due to women's reduced exposure (i.e., shortening the amount of time intimate partners are in contact) to violent male intimate partners (Dugan, Nagin, & Rosenfeld, , ; Reckdenwald & Parker, , ).…”

“…Harper argued that, in part, this may be because structural, institutional, and cultural factors diminish the likelihood of IPH perpetration among abused Latinas. Specifically, structural factors such as poverty, unemployment, and income inequality may contribute to Latinas being more dependent on their abusers for survival (Reina & Lohman, ); institutional factors such as unfair treatment from law enforcement and fear of deportation among undocumented Latina immigrants may reduce the likelihood that they will trust that the criminal justice system will treat them fairly (Reina, Lohman, & Maldonado, ; thus reducing police/criminal justice system help‐seeking) if they kill their intimate partners; and cultural factors/values such as language barriers, gender role expectations (i.e., Marianismo and simpatía ), and strong attachments to family (i.e., familismo ) may cause Latinas to minimize and endure abuse (Reina et al, ). While these factors may collectively work to diminish the likelihood that abused Latinas will utilize IPH to resolve the conflict that abuse causes in their lives, they may also increase Latinas' risk of IPH victimization due to increased entrapment (i.e., coercive control that “prevents women from freely developing their personhood, utilizing their capacities, or practicing citizenship” [Stark, , p. 4]) within abusive relationships (Harper, ).…”

“…The researchers found that in both the control and experimental groups, Latinas were less likely than African‐American and White women were to have a restraining order, reported stalking to the police, or facilitated the arrest of their abusers. Latinas may be less likely than other racial/ethnic groups to reach out to police for domestic violence assistance because, for instance, the police may respond inappropriately and use children or perpetrators to translate (Erez & Hartley, ; Messing, Becerra, Ward‐Lasher, & Androff, ; Silva‐Martinez & Murty, ), which may increase the risk of retaliatory and potentially lethal male violence, and are less likely than other racial/ethnic groups to seek out restraining orders because, for instance, they may not know they are available (Messing, Vega, & Durfee, ; Reina et al, ) or rely on their abusers' income for survival (Reina & Lohman, ). However, Vittes and Sorenson's () study summarized below challenges these contentions.…”