Intimate Partner Violence Among Foreign Born Women: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (2010)

Intimate partner violence is estimated to affect at least one third of women in the U.S. during their lifetime, and women who have immigrated (i.e., foreign born) may be more at risk. Foreign born women may also be less likely to seek formal help due to a variety of barriers. We use data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to determine nationwide prevalence of intimate partner violence and help-seeking patterns among foreign born women, regardless of country of origin, compared to U.S. born women. Approximately 66% (N = 5192) of respondents reported experiencing at least one type of violence. Of survey respondents reporting a country of origin, 8.7% (N = 872) were born in a foreign country. Reports of violence were higher among U.S. born versus foreign born women (46.5% vs. 39.4%, p-value < 0.001), but there was more missing data amongst the latter group. Seeking of help from formal sources was less common among foreign born women compared to U.S. born women (40.7% vs. 60.7%, p-value < 0.0001). As foreign born women were less likely to answer any questions on violence compared to U.S. born women, these data likely do not capture the full extent of intimate partner violence in this population. Improving response rates among foreign born participants will be crucial in improving the understanding of help-seeking patterns and better targeting of resources and other interventions.