Domestic Violence in South Asian Communities in America

Abstract

Domestic violence in the South Asian communities in America has gone unnoticed largely because the social stigma of admitting such information, even to close friends, is profound. Even though younger South Asian women victims of domestic violence who have been raised in the United States are more likely to seek institutional services than older immigrant women, cultural differences between the victims and the local social service institutions as well as service providers continue to be problematic. Service providers require a culturally sound model for dealing with South Asian victims. Such models are used by the few organizations operated by South Asians for their own communities but are rarely acknowledged by the larger American institutions. Transferring these cultural models into the mainstream will enhance communication between South Asian victims and service providers.