Do Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Differ in Regards to Their Help-Seeking? A Qualitative Study

Socio-cultural and sociopolitical influences on women’s experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their decision-making processes are not well-understood. This study characterizes help-seeking behaviors of Hispanic and non-Hispanic survivors using Liang et al.’s analytical framework and identifies differences in barriers to help-seeking between these cultural groups. Transcripts from two focus groups of non-Hispanic survivors and one focus group of Hispanic survivors were coded to identify similar and dissimilar factors impacting Liang et al.’s three stages of help-seeking. Though several barriers were common, Hispanic participants felt informal support systems were inaccessible and being involved in IPV was shaming. They preferred to not seek help but act to change their circumstances. Non-Hispanic participants described extensive experience with formal systems, but relied on strong self-advocacy skills for effectiveness. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the socio-cultural context in which decision-making processes occur in order to provide the best support to IPV survivors.