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Abstract
South Asian immigrants have now become one of the largest and fastest growing immigrant groups in the United States. Similar to many other immigrant groups, domestic violence is a persistent problem among South Asians. While some studies of domestic violence among South Asians have examined its correlates, several gaps appear in this empirical evidence. These gaps are related to the use of small or single-site samples, reliance on culturally unresponsive instruments and the exclusion of men from this area of study. Additionally, empirical gaps persist relating to help-seeking within this community. Only a handful of studies have examined help-seeking from formal sources and none that have investigated the correlates of recommending help-seeking. The dissertation answers three main research questions: (1) what are the overall perceptions of and attitudes toward domestic violence among South Asian immigrants in the U.S.? (2) what are the prevalence rates of domestic violence victimization among South Asian immigrants in the U.S.? And, (3) what is the preference of help-seeking resources and correlates of recommending help-seeking among South Asian immigrants in the U.S.? The study relied on a cross-sectional survey design to recruit a multi-site sample of South Asian men and women (N=468) from across the U.S. The results show that women, those who were older, belonging to nuclear families, with liberal gender-role attitudes, non-religious and 1st generation immigrants perceived domestic violence broadly – that is including other types of abuse rather than just physical violence. In study two, 48% of the sample reported experiencing at least one form of domestic violence. The rates of domestic violence experience were higher for women than for men. In study three, medical professionals were the most preferred help-seeking resource. The findings of this dissertation build a comprehensive study that incorporates the perceptions of and attitudes toward domestic violence held by South Asians. This is the first study that looked at various types of domestic violence victimization, specifically making comparisons between men and women. The identification of medical professionals as one of the most preferred help-seeking resources is striking. Overall, these findings have implications for social work practice, research, teaching and policy.