Protection Order Use Among Latina Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examines the impact of immigration status on the ability of Latina survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) to file for and obtain a domestic violence protection order. Undocumented Latinas living in shelters are less likely to know what a protection order is or how to obtain one. At the same time, undocumented Latinas are more likely to believe that their partner would follow an order and that police would arrest their partner for a violation. Latina survivors of IPV live at the nexus of multiple systems of oppression; therefore, understanding their experiences using an intersectional framework is critically important.

Discipline and Commoditize: How U-Visas Exploit the Pain of Gender-Based Violence

“…Immigrant women are legally disempowered, facing challenges in filing protection orders against abusers (Messing et al, 2017) and dependent on men because of family reunification law (Menjívar & Salcido, 2002). Owing to fears of deportation, domestic violence is underreported in immigrant communities and varies with legal status (Ammar et al, 2005).…”

Transnational Violence Against Asylum-Seeking Women and Children: Honduras and the United States-Mexico Border

“…Mental health, resiliency, and safety have been shown to improve among abused immigrant women when there are appropriate shelters or services in place to address domestic abuse (Cesario et al 2014). Eliminating the mistrust that immigrant women and children have with the criminal justice system in the US would be imperative to ensure that the fear to report any domestic abuse or danger is no longer a barrier (Messing et al 2015(Messing et al , 2017. There should also be an increase in the implementation of evidence-based programs at schools to ensure that asylum-seeking youth are provided with adequate and appropriate resources once they resettle in the US (e.g., TNI@School).…”

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

“…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.…”

“…However, Vittes and Sorenson's () study summarized below challenges these contentions. Additionally, Latina immigrants who are undocumented may be unaware that they are able to petition for restraining orders without risking deportation (Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness , n.d.; Messing et al, ), so may avoid this resource. This fear may be warranted considering recent events where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested a woman at a courthouse in Texas while she was seeking a restraining order (Gonzales, ; Mettler, ).…”