Barriers Faced by American Indian Women in Urban Wisconsin in Seeking Help Following an Experience of Intimate Partner Violence

"It is like a curse". The lived experiences of the intersection of intergenerational violence, pregnancy, and intimate partner violence among urban Wisconsin Indigenous women

BACKGROUND

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a significant public health concern that disproportionately impacts Indigenous American women more than any other ethnic/racial group in the United States.

PURPOSE

This study aims to inform the work of nurses and allied health professionals by providing insight into the lived realities of Indigenous women in urban areas and how IPV manifests in the lives of Indigenous women.

METHODS

Postcolonial and Indigenous feminist frameworks informed this qualitative study. Using thematic analysis, we analyzed data from semi-structured individual interviews with 34 Indigenous women in large urban areas in the upper Midwest.

FINDINGS

This manuscript discusses one broad theme: experiences of IPV during pregnancy and the devastating impacts on women and their children in the form of intergenerational trauma. Under this broad theme, we identified two sub-themes: impacts of IPV on individual pregnancy experiences and linkages to adverse pregnancy-related outcomes related to physical IPV during the childbearing years.

CONCLUSION

This Indigenous-led study informs the development of effective Indigenous-specific interventions to minimize barriers to accessing prenatal care and help-seeking when experiencing IPV to reduce the devastating consequences for Indigenous women and their families.

A protocol for the safe recruitment of Indigenous and Black women experiencing intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic into a large mixed methods study: The Sisters by Choice Study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and pervasive public health problem disproportionately affecting Indigenous and Black women. During the COVID-19 pandemic, IPV became more complicated for advocates because social distancing, quarantine, and isolation measures further endangered women experiencing IPV. This manuscript is based on an ongoing community-engaged study in an upper Midwestern state. Our primary goal for this study is to generate urgently needed knowledge on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous and Black women's help-seeking behaviours following IPV by systematically documenting barriers women faced during the pandemic. Engaging women in a large study that seeks to garner information about their experiences of violence is complex and challenging and requires significant planning, especially for ensuring participants' safety. In this write-up, we detail the safety planning protocol developed for the purposes of recruiting and engaging women in rural and urban areas in an upper Midwestern state in the United States. Our goal is to provide scholars conducting research in the area of violence with practical considerations for safely conducting a study of this nature.

We Have a Voice: An Examination of Intimate Partner Violence in a Native American Community

Indigenous people experience a higher rate of intimate partner violence (IPV) than other racial/ethnic groups; however, limited research examines IPV among this population. In collaboration with a tribe in the western United States, this study surveyed a sample of indigenous people (N = 27) to learn about their experiences with victimization. Results show that respondents experienced high amounts of recent relationship and lifetime victimization, mostly consistent with previous literature. Additional issues and challenges emerged from the data, such as low reporting rates and service accessibility. These findings are contextualized within prior IPV literature, and we offer recommendations for future research.

A Systematic Review of Women's Experiences of Interpersonal Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

To explore and synthesize women's experiences of interpersonal violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DATA SOURCES

The MEDLINE, Ovid, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched to identify articles published between December 2019 and November 2022.

STUDY SELECTION

Seventeen peer-reviewed studies were included, for a total of 2,046 women.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data were extracted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

DATA SYNTHESIS

COVID-19 brought many challenges for women experiencing interpersonal violence. Women reported worsening of abuse during the pandemic. The pandemic led to severe economic challenges, which eventually precipitated more abuse. Additionally, women experienced mental health distress from social isolation and increased surveillance and control from their abusive partners. Several factors affected their ability to access health care and support services; these included limited availability of services, fear of contracting the virus, and an abusive partner who restricted their movement outside the home.

CONCLUSION

The pandemic presented multiple challenges and additional stressors for women who experienced interpersonal violence during pandemic-related restrictions on services, gatherings, and work and school outside of the home. The findings from this review signify the need to raise public awareness about violence against women and to plan for coordinated efforts to decrease violence against women and address victims' needs in the event of future pandemics or other public health emergencies.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on help-seeking behaviours of Indigenous and Black women experiencing intimate partner violence in the United States

AIMS

This article discusses possible barriers to help-seeking that Indigenous and Black women encountered when seeking help related to experiences of intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

This article is focused on understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations at highest risk for intimate partner violence in its most severe forms.

DATA SOURCES

Literature sources range from 2010 to 2022. The article is also informed by the experiences of scholars and advocates working with Indigenous and Black women experiencing intimate partner violence in Wisconsin. In our write-up, we draw on Indigenous feminism and Black feminist thought.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Help seeking is contextual. The context in which help seeking occurs or does not occur for Indigenous and Black women, due to the barriers we discuss is vital for nurses to understand in order to provide efficient and meaningful nursing care.

CONCLUSION

Our goal is to center the nursing profession in a leadership position in addressing the complex and unique needs of Indigenous and Black women who experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence and also experience the greatest barriers to care and support.

IMPACT

We seek to contribute theory-driven knowledge that informs the work of nurses who are often the first to encounter survivors of intimate partner violence within the clinical setting. Help-seeking is often hindered by factors such as geographic and jurisdictional, economic, and structural response barriers. This knowledge will enhance nurses' ability to lead and advocate for clinical practice and policies that minimize the barriers women experience following intimate partner violence, especially during pandemics, disasters, and other extraordinary circumstances.

PUBLIC CONTRIBUTIONS

This article is based on the collaboration of community advocates, nurse scientists, and public health scholars, who work closely with Indigenous and Black survivors of violence and seek to meet their needs and offer them meaningful support.