Formal help‐seeking in intimate partnerviolence among Spanish‐born and immigrantwomen in Spain: A focus group study

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health problem. InSpain, although the prevalence of IPV is greater in immigrantwomen than in Spanish‐born women, immigrant womenseem to access services to a lesser extent. This study aimed toexplore and compare perceptions of barriers to and strategiesfor seeking formal help among Spanish‐born and immigrantwomen IPV survivors. A qualitative study was conductedbased on three focus groups with women of Spanish (n = 9),Romanian (n = 4), and Latin American (n = 4) origin. The the-matic analysis was supported by Atlas.ti. Three categories and12 subcategories were identified: general characteristics ofhelp‐seeking behavior (e.g., children as the main motivatingfactor), barriers (e.g., immigrant status, fear of the perpetra-tor), and strategies for accessing services (e.g., increasingeducation). Differences in help‐seeking behavior were foundbetween groups. Relevant information for professionals toimprove women's access to IPV support services is provided.