A new study from Michigan State University has shed light on the severe impact of intimate partner violence, or IPV, specifically underscoring the systemic barriers survivors from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds face when seeking help. This research coincides with Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month this February.

IPV against women is a serious public health problem that carries life-long detrimental effects on the physical and mental health of survivors, according to researchers. It occurs when there is abuse or aggression in a romantic relationship with a current or former partner, including physical and sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression by intimate partners.

Hyunkag Cho, associate professor and director of the doctoral program at MSU’s School of Social Work, published a study in the Journal of Family Violence, finding several disparities in help-seeking trends based on the severity of the IPV, along with the race and/or ethnicity of the survivors.

“I’ve noticed that although every victim suffers from many health problems caused by IPV, certain racial and ethnic groups seek less help than other groups, resulting in even worse health,” said Cho.

Why some survivors seek less support

Cho found that survivors from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds are often less likely to report IPV incidents to law enforcement due to distrust of the legal system. In addition, those groups may seek fewer mental health services such as seeking help from psychologists, medical doctors and social workers after IPV incidents.

Several factors contribute to this disparity, including financial burdens, culturally embedded stigmas around mental health and reliance on faith-based coping strategies such as prayer.

The underrepresentation of Black service providers and mistrust of white service providers can also further impede Black IPV survivors from accessing much needed mental health services.

The role of medical and social work professionals

To better address the needs of survivors, Cho suggests that medical professionals need to have ongoing training regarding screening, detecting and treating symptoms associated with abuse, working together with IPV advocates and social workers.

Early detection and prevention can be key to impeding further victimization and worse health outcomes, and service providers should pay attention to the gendered patterns involving victimization.

"For instance, coercive controlling violence inflicts negative health impacts on survivors, but the impacts are not gender neutral; female survivors’ health is affected by coercive controlling violence more than male survivors, though male survivors reported more of such violence than female survivors.,” Cho said.

Cultural competence is also essential for higher quality service and care, as service providers who demonstrate cultural humility can create better experiences for survivors, which in turn increases trust and future help-seeking behavior.

“When survivors find service providers who look like them, speak like them, and/or feel like them, they will be eager to visit them to share so many stories that can help service providers better understand the context of IPV incidents,” Cho said.

Improving support systems for survivors

Cho hopes his research can improve cultural competence in health care and social services, which can continue paving the way for improved support services for survivors, which will improve the likelihood of disclosure to IPV to health care workers.

“I hope my research can foster effective collaboration among various service providers, including police departments, hospitals and community service agencies,” Cho said. “Uniting those fields can be crucial for delivering tailored services that acknowledge the unique circumstances of survivors who utilize these services.”