June 27, 2024

One-third of refugee women face domestic violence. Universal screening will help them.

Three-year study examined multiple barriers to reporting abusive relationships among vulnerable communities

Domestic violence is experienced by close to a third of refugee women who settle in Australia, with the majority facing multiple challenges when attempting to report the abuse, according to new research from the University of Wollongong (UOW).

Language barriers, lack of knowledge about Australian laws and services, complex relationships within their own communities, and visa insecurity can add additional obstacles for refugee women, compounding the difficulty of attempting to leave an abusive relationship.

Professor Jo Spangaro, Associate Professor Jacqui Cameron, Dr Nigel Spence and Dr Jeanette Walsh, all from UOW’s School of Health and Society, worked alongside SSI, a service that helps refugees with settlement support in their communities, as part of a three-year project funded by the Australian Research Council that examined how to screen and responds to domestic violence among this vulnerable group of women.

The findings were launched this week (Tuesday 25 June) in an online event supported by the NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner.

Professor Spangaro said her team are now recommending that universal screening be rolled out across all refugee settlement services to help women access vital services to escape domestic violence situations.

“Intimate partner violence is common among women globally, but women from refugee and migrant backgrounds face additional challenges and fears.” she said. “Identifying abuse by a partner is the first step to women becoming safe.

“Universal screening for intimate partner violence involves asking all women who attend a service a small number of validated questions about current or recent experiences of being hit or hurt by their partner.”

As part of the Safety and Health after Arrival (SAHAR) study, the researchers set out to find a tangible way to help refugee women experiencing domestic violence to change their circumstances.

This was the first Australian study to use universal screening for domestic violence in settlement services.

^{Associate Professor Jo Spangaro. Photo: Michael Gray}

Over three years, the researchers surveyed 321 women across five refugee settlement services – four in Sydney, one in regional NSW – through the process of universal screening.

The women ranged in age from 18-80, originated from 24 countries, including Iraq, Syria, China, and Afghanistan, and spoke a total of 25 languages at home. Most women – more than 90 per cent – were comfortable with being asked about their experiences of domestic violence.

All women, regardless of whether they had disclosed domestic violence or not, were given a wallet-sized information card in their language with key messages and contacts for domestic violence services. Safety planning, risk assessment and referral to other needed services were offered to women who identified that they were experiencing current abuse.

The project resulted in the development of a comprehensive set of guidelines that aim to break down those barriers to reporting, provide refugee women with the tools and services they need to seek help, and normalise conversations around domestic violence in a way that is culturally sensitive and safe.

Professor Spangaro said the study showed how valuable universal screening is as a tool to screen for responding to domestic violence in refugee communities.

“Universal screening encourages women to get help but also raises awareness of the extent and impacts of violence in intimate partner relationships. It opens up the door to those conversations and lets the women know that they are not alone, despite the upheaval they may have experienced in relocating to Australia.

“We found refugee women place a high value on being able to talk with someone who speaks their language. Language matching and culturally sensitive service environments were important enablers for refugee women deciding whether to disclose and seek help.

“Settlement services are uniquely placed as safe and accessible services for women experiencing abuse. Refugee women valued the proximity, accessibility and care shown by staff, as well as cultural safety and the ease of being able to communicate in their language for conversations about complex issues, including abuse.”