state of knowledge
Promoting community-led responses to violence against immigrant and refugee women in metropolitan and regional Australia: The ASPIRE Project:
State of knowledge paper
This state of knowledge paper examines a broad range of national and international research to present the current knowledge about family violence against immigrant and refugee women.
State of knowledge paper
While the paper identifies critical evidence on the topic, it acknowledges that much of the available literature has methodological issues, including incomplete and inconclusive prevalence data; small sample sizes; and conceptualising family violence in ways that are not recognised by immigrant and refugee communities.
The paper finds:
- Overall immigrant and refugee report similar forms of family violence as women from non-immigrant backgrounds, however there are some differences in the types of violence experienced and the structural contexts where it takes place.
- The constraints produced by immigration policies are of significant concern, where women depend on perpetrators for economic security and residency rights.
- Many immigrant and refugee women are motivated to resolve family violence without ending relationships and breaking up families, for reasons including immigration concerns and family and community pressures.
- There is scant evidence that the increase in criminal justice responses to family violence, such as “mandatory arrest” and “pro-prosecution” approaches, are helpful for immigrant women, and may deter them from seeking assistance in crisis situations.
The paper also identifies key gaps in literature on this issue, particularly in connection to the ways immigration policies, structural disadvantage and location interact with immigrant and refugee women’s experiences of family violence.
Publication details
This commissioned work is part of the ANROWS Landscapes series. ANROWS Landscapes (State of knowledge papers) are medium length papers that scope current knowledge on an issue related to violence against women and their children. Papers will draw on empirical research, including research produced under ANROWS’s research program, and/or practice knowledge.
Authors
DR CATHY VAUGHAN
Lecturer, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
MS ERIN DAVIS
Research Assistant, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
DR ADELE MURDOLO
Executive Director, Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health
DR JASMIN CHEN
Research Assistant, Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health
DR LINDA MURRAY
Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania
DR KAREN BLOCK
Research Fellow, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
DR REGINA QUIAZON
Senior Research and Policy Advocate, Multicultural Centre of Women’s Health
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DEB WARR
Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
ISBN: 978-1-925372-21-2 (print) 978-1-925372-20-5 (online)
80 pp.
Suggested citation
Vaughan, C., Davis E., Murdolo, A., Chen, J., Murray, L., Block, K., Quiazon, R., & Warr, D. (2015). Promoting community-led responses to violence against immigrant and refugee women in metropolitan and regional Australia: The ASPIRE Project: State of knowledge paper (ANROWS Landscapes, 12/2015). Sydney, NSW: ANROWS.