Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) : Prevalence, Perceptions, and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Immigrant Latinas in Central Alabama

Little is known about IPV among Latina immigrant women, particularly in the Southeastern USA. We examined abuse prevalence, perceptions and help-seeking behaviors among immigrant Latinas in greater Birmingham, AL in 2008. We surveyed 272 Latinas who accessed services from the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (°HICA!). Our pre-tested questionnaire combined previously validated items with newly developed questions regarding help-seeking. Most women were married or cohabitating (72%), had completed at least some high school education (78%), were from Mexico (68%), and were on average 30 years old. Half the sample (50%) scored 5+ on the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) scale, indicating that they had probably experienced some sort of violence. However, only 30 women admitted suffering sexual abuse; and 18 women who scored 6+ did not self-identify as abuse victims. Of 216 women who completed fully the perceptions of abuse scale, 85 (40%) scored 34 or higher (maximum=44); another 57% scored from 23-33. Thus, respondents had good overall perceptions regarding abusive behaviors. Among other noteworthy findings, most women knew they could seek help from °HICA!, law enforcement agencies, women's centers, hotlines, and shelters. However, only five women reported seeking help from healthcare providers and 29% of the 176 women who answered the question sought help from police. The three most frequently reported barriers to help-seeking included not knowing what services were available, being afraid of seeking help, and a lack of Spanish-language services. Results will be used to inform development of community-based IPV programs and support services for immigrant Latinas.