Victimization and help-seeking process of female experienced intimate partner violence

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) which includes physical violence, sexual assault, and psychological abuse by current or former intimate partner, is a significant health-care issue and global social concern. A lot of women are the victims of IPV and face different problems and challenges in their help-seeking process and hence affect their help-seeking decision. This research aimed to identify the difficulties battered women face when they seek help from different sources including the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the law enforcement agency as well as the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Hong Kong. In order to enhance the understanding towards the battered women’s’ considerations and limitations in the help-seeking process, individual and social factors affecting their help-seeking behaviors were also examined. Five victims of IPV and two social workers from NGOs were interviewed to examine the practical situation of IPV in Hong Kong. The common causes of IPV and evaluation of the social support in Hong Kong have been thoroughly discussed and examined. Through the semi-structured interviews, the research revealed interviewees’ perception and evaluation towards the performance of different service providers. Results of the research helped to identify strengths and shortcomings of different service providers as well as provide recommendations to the government to review the overall situation of the laws, policies and services regarding IPV in Hong Kong.