Domestic abuse: Black and minority-ethnic women's perspectives

Background: domestic abuse affects one in three women in the UK and can have long-term consequences for those concerned and their families. Guidelines suggest that all women should be asked about domestic abuse, and the Department of Health has suggested ways of supporting this issue. Health-care professionals could find themselves with a woman who cannot speak English, and may require the support of an interpreter. Current guidelines are not suitable for Black and minority-ethnic women, and midwives may not have enough cultural awareness to support these women. Aim: to interview bilingual women in the community to explore: (1) how domestic abuse is viewed in their culture; and (2) who should be questioning women about this sensitive issue. Method: a qualitative phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews with non-pregnant bilingual workers within the local community. Findings: women's lives were influenced by their in-laws and family, status, attitudes to marriage arrangements and gossiping in the community. All of these factors affected disclosure. Conclusions: health-care professionals must understand that women take serious measures to hide the fact that they are victims of abuse in order to preserve family honour. Divulging information to interpreters or relatives is a problem because of lack of confidentiality and gossiping in the community. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.