A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Emotional Abuse in Caribbean Women and Caribbean-Canadian Women

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigated emotional abuse in two samples of women: an immigrant sample of Caribbean-Canadian women, and a sample of women living in the Caribbean. Using a semi-structured interview methodology, it was found that the two samples did not differ in the percentage of participants reporting emotional abuse. However, the following two differences did emerge: (1) the Caribbean-Canadian women reported more emotional abuse in the workplace while the Caribbean women reported more emotional abuse in intimate relationships; and (2) the Caribbean-Canadian women were more likely to cite the cause of their emotional abuse as being systemic in nature while the Caribbean women were more likely to cite an individual as the cause of their abuse. These differences demonstrate the importance of considering cross-cultural influences on the experience of emotional abuse.