Background: The problem of domestic violence among immigrant populations in the United States has not been addressed enough. This study explores the relationship between immigration and domestic violence among Korean immigrant families. Methods: The methodological approaches used in this study are both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative part of the study examines the risk factors and predictors to the likelihood of wife battering among Korean immigrant men. A set of hypotheses is tested that compares batterers to a comparison group of community men for levels of traditional gender role attitudes, immigrant life dissatisfaction, emasculation, and female resistance. The qualitative part highlights the voices of Korean male batterers and illuminates how domestic violence is personally experienced in their lives. Results: This study concludes that Korean male batterers tend to be younger, less educated, in a lower income bracket, in lower occupational categories, have a higher frequency of marriage, shorter years of marriage, and have fewer years of U.S. residency. The mean levels of immigrant life dissatisfaction, emasculation, and female resistance are statistically significantly higher for the batterers than for community men. The odds of wife battering increase significantly as the level of female resistance increases. Further, the combination of immigrant life dissatisfaction and high female resistance is significantly related to battering. Beliefs about traditional gender roles and behaviors, cultural values and norms, and changes in gender roles and relations within the immigration process are important parts of the gender dynamics in which domestic violence takes place in Korean immigrant families.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to learn: 1)risk factors and predictors to the likelihood of wife battering among Korean immigrant men; 2) if Korean male batterers have higher levels of traditional gender role attitudes, immigrant life dissatisfaction, emasculation, and female resistance than a comparison group of Korean community men; and 3) how domestic violence is personally experienced in their immigrant family lives.
Keywords: Domestic Violence,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.