Women’s Help-Seeking in China and Papua New Guinea: Factors That Impact Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Victimization due to men’s intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration against women has many negative physical and mental health effects that can last for generations. Understanding how women seek help in response to abuse, and from whom, can help to inform intervention and prevention efforts. This study sought to understand the help-seeking behavior of women who have experienced IPV in two under-researched countries in Asia and the Pacific, China, and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Based on data from the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence, this study used a series of logistic regression models to examine what factors increased women’s likelihood of seeking help from family members and what factors increased the likelihood of a positive reaction in response to help-seeking. More than three quarters of the sample never disclosed their abuse. Those who sought help most frequently went to their female family members or female in-laws. Women were more likely to seek help if they had been severely injured, were experiencing multiple forms of IPV, were experiencing suicidal ideation, held fewer beliefs about traditional gender norms or if they had not witnessed IPV between their own parents. A positive response upon disclosure was contingent on the severity of injuries and women’s knowledge of violence against women legislation and public service campaigns. These findings help to bridge the gap in knowledge about help-seeking behavior from informal supports and the role that community education on IPV could have in ensuring that victims of IPV are supported by family when disclosing partner violence.