Cultural and Practical Barriers to Seeking Help for Intimate Partner Violence Among Korean Immigrants: Exploring Gender and Age Differences

Soon Cho (), Y. Joon Choi, Jeong-Yeob Han, Hanyoung Kim and Stephen T. Fife
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Soon Cho: Department of Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79415, USA
Y. Joon Choi: School of Social Work, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
Jeong-Yeob Han: Department of Advertising and Public Relations, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Hanyoung Kim: Department of Integrated Strategic Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
Stephen T. Fife: Department of Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79415, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Immigrants in the United States, including Korean immigrants, are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence (IPV), yet they are less likely to seek help than non-immigrants. This qualitative study sought to understand barriers to seeking help for IPV among Korean immigrants and to explore age and gender differences in Korean immigrants’ understanding of these barriers. We conducted four focus groups with 38 adults grouped by age and gender. Thematic analysis was employed to understand Korean immigrants’ perceptions of IPV and barriers to help-seeking. As a result, four prominent themes emerged: (1) differential understanding of IPV, (2) Confucian cultural influences on IPV, (3) cultural barriers to help-seeking, and (4) practical barriers to help-seeking. Women participants showed an in-depth understanding of IPV, recognizing various forms beyond physical violence within the immigrant social context. Younger participants highlighted the intergenerational transmission of IPV. Cultural factors, rooted in Confucianism such as strict gender roles and women’s self-sacrifice, exacerbate IPV. Cultural barriers include shame culture, treating IPV as a private matter, and the emphasis on family unity. Practical barriers are linked to the challenges immigrants face. These insights illustrate the need for targeted IPV interventions tailored to distinct gender and age demographics within the community.

Keywords: Confucian culture; domestic violence; family violence; focus group; immigrant women; intimate partner violence; Korean American; Korean culture; Korean immigrant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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