TY - JOUR
T1 - Linguistic Support Services for Immigrant Domestic Violence Victims
AU - Lee, Eunyoung
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Intimate partner violence is increasing among immigrant women in the U.S., but because of language barriers, abused immigrant women may be unable to access formal services. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of geographical location (urban/rural) and percentage of non-native English speakers on the availability of linguistic support services in one highly diverse state-Florida. Using a sample of 258 service providers for domestic violence victims, the results show significant differences between rural and urban providers’ perceptions of the need for linguistic support services in law enforcement, legal, and mental health needs. Urban service providers perceived a greater need for these services than rural service providers. The study found that a higher percentage of non-native English speakers predicted greater bilingual linguistic service availability. Lastly, the study found the more frequently providers perceived a victim’s basic needs to be met, the more likely that providers indicated linguistic support services were frequently met in their service area. Findings indicate that immigrants experiencing abuse who reside in rural areas might endure added difficulties in accessing assistance. While it may not be cost-efficient for rural service providers to hire translators or multilingual staff, such services may be cost-shared with other agencies.
AB - Intimate partner violence is increasing among immigrant women in the U.S., but because of language barriers, abused immigrant women may be unable to access formal services. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of geographical location (urban/rural) and percentage of non-native English speakers on the availability of linguistic support services in one highly diverse state-Florida. Using a sample of 258 service providers for domestic violence victims, the results show significant differences between rural and urban providers’ perceptions of the need for linguistic support services in law enforcement, legal, and mental health needs. Urban service providers perceived a greater need for these services than rural service providers. The study found that a higher percentage of non-native English speakers predicted greater bilingual linguistic service availability. Lastly, the study found the more frequently providers perceived a victim’s basic needs to be met, the more likely that providers indicated linguistic support services were frequently met in their service area. Findings indicate that immigrants experiencing abuse who reside in rural areas might endure added difficulties in accessing assistance. While it may not be cost-efficient for rural service providers to hire translators or multilingual staff, such services may be cost-shared with other agencies.
KW - domestic violence
KW - immigrants
KW - intimate partner violence
KW - Linguistic support services
KW - service providers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85057339299&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01488376.2018.1511502
DO - 10.1080/01488376.2018.1511502
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85057339299
SN - 0148-8376
VL - 45
SP - 715
EP - 726
JO - Journal of Social Service Research
JF - Journal of Social Service Research
IS - 5
ER -