What triggers family violence

Women from refugee backgrounds report that there are more incidents of domestic violence in their new societies than when they lived in their countries of origin (Bhuyan & Senturia, 2005; Reese & Pease, 2007; Semlak et al., 2008).

The process of settlement can assist the strategies of abusers in many ways because:

• Isolation from family support prevents victims of abuse from speaking out about violence.
• Without the traditional support of family members women have fewer options to talk about violence.
• In new societies, women are also isolated because of unemployment, limited finances and inadequate English language skills.
• Social isolation includes being intentionally kept from social and community contact and from attending English language classes.

A New Zealand study of family violence in Asian communities found that the triggers for family violence related to difficulties in adjusting to living in a new country, in particular, finding suitable employment and experiencing financial hardship (Tse, 2003). Men’s dominance in some Asian families was an issue, especially when men saw control over their wives as a last resort to protect their cultural values and traditions.

Other triggers for family violence in migrant communities include:

• Settlement stress, especially for the first three years post migration
• Alcohol abuse by either partner
• Problem gambling
• Over-involvement of in-laws in the marriage

Ethnic community perceptions that family violence is a private matter and; women’s desire to keep their marriage intact are significant barriers to reporting partner abuse. It is also important to remember that divorced women, even when there is known abuse, lose all their social status in their community and are often ostracised.