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319929
Ayúdame!: Latina immigrants, Intimate-Partner Violence, and barriers to help-seeking


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Delfina Martinez-Pandiani, A.B. Candidate in Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard College (Undergraduate, 2nd year), Harvard College, Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard College (Harvard University), Cambridge, MA
Issues: Effective prevention and intervention in regards to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) situations necessitates an analysis of groups of women caught in the intersection of multiple systems of power -- such as gender, race, class, and immigration status, among others. Latina immigrant women who face IPV in the U.S. is one of these groups. Their especially precarious position when faced with IPV deserves rigorous analysis and attention for effective response.

Description: Composed of both an academic paper and an artistic rendition as a mural, the project was guided by the research question of determining the barriers and factors that influence the help-seeking behaviors of Latina immigrant women when faced with IPV in the U.S. The academic paper carefully analyzes existing literature on the precarious position of Latina victims through an intersectional and social-justice framework, seeking an understanding of the multiplicative effects of their social standings for effective prevention, intervention and advocacy programs. The mural, currently exhibited at the Harvard College Women’s Center, utilizes vibrant colors and symbolism to depict the obstacles that these women face in their quest for help.

Lessons Learned: The review of existing literature ultimately exposed that the studied group faces multiple, intertwining barriers to help-seeking that can be described in three levels: cultural, situational/structural, and institutional.

Recommendations: Future interventions and services ought to cater adequately and effectively to the needs of Latinas faced with IPV by being culturally relevant and taking into consideration the precarious position they inhabit, informed by all levels of barriers to help-seeking.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
Identify the factors and barriers that influence the help-seeking behaviors of Latina immigrant women who face with Intimate Partner Violence in the United States. Assess the cultural, situational, structural, and institutional factors that place this group of women in such a precarious position when faced with Intimate Partner Violence. Formulate practical steps for more effective future prevention, intervention and advocacy programs that target Latina immigrant women who face domestic violence in the United States.

Keyword(s): Domestic Violence, Latinos

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As a Harvard student, I was fortunate to enroll in “Sexual Health and Reproductive Justice,” a seminar class. Through it, I was able to research, question, understand, and address issues of reproductive justice through an intersectional approach.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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