Check for updates Research Article Exploring South Asian Women's Experiences of Domestic Violence and Help-Seeking Within the Sociocultural Context in Hong Kong Violence Against Women 1-16 The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1077801218821443 journals.sagepub.com/home/vaw SAGE Kareen N. Tonsing' D and Jenny C. Tonsing2 Abstract Data are reported from a survey of 49 South Asian women who self-identified as having experienced domestic violence from an intimate partner within the past 12 months. Logistic regression analysis reveals that perceived social support and having children emerged as the strongest predictors for seeking help. This study also demonstrates that women's approach to help-seeking is shaped and embedded by a combination of individual and structural factors. The findings of this study may be used to help enhance efforts to promote and provide resources and support for victims of domestic violence from an intimate partner. Keywords domestic violence, intimate partner violence, help-seeking, South Asians, Hong Kong Introduction Global awareness of domestic violence against women has grown significantly over the past several decades (Garcia-Moreno, Ellsberg, Heise, & Watts, 2005). In Hong Kong, the emergence of domestic violence as a significant social and public health concern has also gained much research attention over the past decades (e.g., Bouhours 1Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA 2Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA Corresponding Author: Kareen N. Tonsing, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work & Criminal Justice, Oakland University, 371 Varner Drive, Rochester, MI 48309, USA. Email: kareentonsing@oakland.edu
2 Violence Against Women 00(0) & Broadhurst, 2015; Chan, 2005; Chan, Brownridge, Tiwari, Fong, & Leung, 2008; Chan et al., 2011; Chan et al., 2013; L. C. Leung, 2008; W. C. Leung, Leung, Lam, & Ho, 1999; Tang, 1999; Tiwari et al., 2014; Yan & Chan, 2012; Yuen-Tsang & Sung, 2005). Based on a random sample of Hong Kong women (N = 1,297) in 2006, Broadhurst and colleagues found that the lifetime prevalence of experiencing at least one incident of domestic violence by women was 19.9%, and 1.5% in the past year (Broadhurst, Bouhours, & Bacon-Shone, 2012). Despite the significant number of studies on domestic violence against women in Hong Kong, to date, there is only a limited number of studies that have focused on domestic violence among ethnic minor- ity women in Hong Kong (e.g., Kapai, 2015; J. C. Tonsing, 2014, 2015, 2016). This limited literature suggests that not much attention has been paid to the social problem of domestic violence existing among this community. The gap in scholarship could translate into inadequate policies and support services for ethnic minority women who experience domestic violence. According to the 2011 Population Census for Hong Kong (Census and Statistics, 2012), ethnic minorities constituted 6.4% of the total population in Hong Kong, of which the South Asian community comprises 0.8%. Over the past decade, the number of ethnic minorities increased 3.3% annually (Census and Statistics, 2012; Legislative Council Secretariat, 2017). These trends exemplify the necessity to conduct further studies on domestic violence among South Asian populations. It is against