Insufficient: A scoping review of structural racism and intimate partner violence in US-based immigrant communities of color

by Samantha Kanselaar, Sameera S. Nayak, Rochelle R. Davidson Mhonde, Areej Khan, Kyle Machicado, Jhumka Gupta

While there has been growing attention to research on structural racism and health inequities and the importance of naming structural racism as a driver of population health inequities, research focusing on structural racism and intimate partner violence (IPV) in United States (US)-based immigrant communities of color is lacking. This scoping review examined existing literature that names, operationalizes, and attributes structural racism as a determinant of IPV, and/or its health and social consequences among immigrant communities of color in the US. A search of eight databases (e.g., Medline, CINHAL) to identify studies related to IPV, structural racism, and immigrant communities retrieved 1896 articles. After independent reviewers screened papers for relevance, 32 articles were included in the scoping review. Articles were categorized into two categories for inclusion: Tier 1: Explicitly names structural racism as a driving factor of IPV and directly attributes IPV experiences or consequences to structural racism (articles that met all of our initial eligibility criteria); and Tier 2: Does not explicitly name structural racism as a driving factor of IPV experiences or consequences, but attributes IPV experiences or consequences to structural factors of oppression that align with themes of structural racism. Only one paper was identified that named and attributed IPV experiences to structural racism among US-based immigrants of color. Major research gaps in operationalizing, examining, attributing, and naming structural racism as a driver of IPV and sequelae in US-based immigrants of color persist. Findings serve as a call to action for scholars to move beyond solely traditional individual, cultural, and gender approaches and explicitly name and integrate structural racism into IPV research efforts among immigrant communities of color.

Source: journals.plos.org