The Perspectives of Volunteer Counselors of Korean Immigrant Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

This study investigates what needs to be considered in our current health services to appropriately respond to abused Korean immigrant women. Using a community-based participatory approach, this qualitative interpretive description analyzed counseling documents and semi-structured interviews. Data analyses suggested that intimate partner violence (IPV) screening for ethnic minority women in health care settings can be improved by informing patients about the role of health care providers in addressing IPV, establishing rapport before IPV screening, assuring confidentiality is maintained, respecting Korean immigrant women’s unique perspectives and response toward IPV, providing translation services, and collaborating with ethnic minority women’s community organizations.

Acknowledgment

We thank the Korean American Women’s Association in Philadelphia women for their support and contribution to the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors disclose grant funding was received from the Sigma Theta Tau, Xi chapter, the Office of Nursing Research, and the Leboy-Davis fellowship from University of Pennsylvania.