Immigration policies increase south Asian immigrant women's vulnerability to intimate partner violence.
OBJECTIVE
To explore forms of immigration-related partner abuse and examine the association of such abuse and immigration status with physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) among South Asian women residing in greater Boston.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey data on demographics,immigration status, immigration-related partner abuse, IPV, and health were collected from immigrant South Asian women currently in relationships with men (n=189). In-depth interviews were conducted with immigrant South Asian women with histories of IPV (n=23). The majority of women in both the quantitative and qualitative studies were Indian (96% and 65%), not US citizens (69% and 83%), and highly educated (48% and 39% reported postgraduate training). Logistic regression analyses adjusted for related demographics and 95% confidence intervals were used to assess quantitative data. Qualitative data were assessed via a grounded theory approach.


RESULTS
The odds of reporting IPV (23% of the sample)were higher for women who reported that their partners refused to change their immigration status (OR 7.8; CI 1.4, 44.6) or threatened them with deportation (OR 23.0; CI 4.5, 118.8) and for those on spousal dependent visas (OR 2.8; CI 1.1, 7.4) than they were for other women. Abused women interviewed also described how their partners used immigration laws prohibiting them from working or petitioning for status change to limit their autonomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Immigration policies that prevent women on spousal visas from working and petitioning to change their status increase women's vulnerability to partner abuse. Such legal barriers may constitute human rights violations and should be reformed to protect immigrant battered women and their children.
Raj
Anita
A
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, USA.
Silverman
Jay G
JG
McCleary-Sills
Jennifer
J
Liu
Rosalyn
R
D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000208:ethnology; D001213:Asian / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018585:Battered Women / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D001900:Boston; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004651:Employment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011640:Public Policy; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000208:ethnology; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*