Doctoral Dissertation Research: Assessing the Impact of Violence Against Women Policy on the Safety and Welfare of Battered Immigrant Women

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

This dissertation research examines the impact of changes in federal legislation intended to deter intimate partner violence against immigrant women. Through provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1996 and 2000, some immigrant women are now able to leave their abusive spouses, without fear of deportation. The research will use a mixed-ethnographic approach to examine how VAWA provisions influence decision-making and safety planning for immigrant women who are victims/survivors of interpersonal violence. The main questions asked in this proposed study are: How do service providers/advocates assist their immigrant clients in navigating through their options for safety planning, including VAWA provisions? How do immigrant women negotiate their options in finding relief from their abusers and what role do VAWA provisions play in their decision-making? Broader implications for this research include: to assess how congressional intent to provide relief to battered immigrant women is working and inform policy development, to broaden understanding of interpersonal violence by addressing intersectionality of gender, race, ethnicity, class, and immigration, to hear from women themselves if the VAWA provisions are helpful in securing safety from violence, and to provide insight that will help service providers and social workers to better advocate for their immigrant clients.