Bosnian Women and Intimate Partner Violence Differences in Experiences and Attitudes for Refugee and Nonrefugee Women

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is increasingly viewed as a global social problem. Research examining this issue, however, generally has been limited to North America, leaving an extensive gap in the literature. This study aims to narrow this gap by examining IPV among Bosnian women. Specifically, an exploratory analysis will be structured around two important and interrelated areas: prevelance of IPV and attitudes related to IPV. Approximately 70 Bosnian women completed paper-and-pencil surveys that measured experiences and attitudes associated with IPV. Bivariate analyses were used to compare the responses of Bosnian nationals residing in Bosnia-Herzegovina (n = 49) against the responses of Bosnian refugees residing in the United States (n = 21). Results and suggestions for future research are presented.