Intimate partner violence in Hawaii: Identification of services, service gaps, and barriers to accessing services for individuals and families

The current research investigated several aspects of providing services to individuals and families affected by intimate partner violence (IPV) in rural and/or geographically isolated areas of the State of Hawaii. In particular, the following were examined: 1) identification of current program practices including cultural practices specific to the multi-ethnic populations of the islands, 2) identification of gaps in program practices and services which can then be targeted for future intervention activities in order to fill those gaps, and 3) identification of barriers that exist which prevent individuals or families from accessing existing services. Participants were executive directors or program coordinators of agencies that provided IPV or related services (e.g. substance abuse treatment, housing assistance, immigration services, child welfare) on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Participants were interviewed by trained undergraduate and graduate research assistants, and were asked questions regarding: the services their agencies provided; the demographics of the they clients serve; the types of challenges their clients faced (including IPV); the ways their agencies involve cultural practices in their services; and their opinions on existing barriers to accessing services, existing service gaps, and the successes and challenges agencies face in providing IPV services to their clients. Results indicated that although IPV and related services were available on all islands, the more rural and isolated islands (Molokai and Lanai) or rural parts of islands (e.g. Hana, Puna, Hamakua, South Point) had limited access to some services. Cultural considerations/practices also varied by island and across providers.