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Protecting Rural Church-Going Immigrant Women from Family Violence

  • ADDRESSING VICTIMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE
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Abstract

Rural Latino immigrant women at risk of family violence may perceive churches as their only source of help. However, immigrant church leaders may be poorly equipped to address family violence in their congregations. This article describes a project designed to stimulate and support appropriate responses to family violence by rural immigrant churches, including those identified with conservative theological views on women. The primary goal was to provide rural Latino church leaders with culturally sensitive materials and resources they were willing to use with their congregations. We collaborated with local service providers who assisted in recruiting the church leaders for the pastors’ workshops where the resource materials were presented. Survey data indicated most of the pastors were receptive to the content and planned to incorporate it into their church work. Suggestions are made for future research on this culturally sensitive approach to addressing family violence in the immigrant community.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and North Carolina State University Faculty Research and Professional Development Fund for funding this research project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001, MSC 3SW, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA

    Tina U. Hancock

  2. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Natalie Ames & Andrew O. Behnke

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  1. Tina U. Hancock
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  2. Natalie Ames
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  3. Andrew O. Behnke
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Correspondence to Tina U. Hancock.

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Hancock, T.U., Ames, N. & Behnke, A.O. Protecting Rural Church-Going Immigrant Women from Family Violence. J Fam Viol 29, 323–332 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9581-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9581-x

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