Intimate partner violence against Deaf women: A review

A common theme among writings on intimate partner violence against Deaf women is the concern that there is little empirical work conducted in this field in comparison to research conducted with hearing populations. However, it is important to acknowledge that an increased amount of research has been conducted in recent years and that a foundation of research has been established, on which future researchers can build and expand. The goal of the current review is to summarize and synthesize the recent work in this area, as well as identify remaining gaps and needs for future empirical work. While there are substantial issues and gaps in the current research base, the most critical issue is that of dissemination and networking—many of the studies in the current review remain unpublished, making this information difficult to obtain. As such, it is similarly difficult to locate other investigators in the field, hindering our ability to build on one another's work, as well as develop effective research collaborations. The foundation has been established. The researchers are out there. The next step is to work together to expand our knowledge of intimate partner violence against Deaf women.

Research Highlights
► Recent increase in studies on intimate partner violence against Deaf women.
► Still many issues and gaps in the existing research foundation.
► Dissemination remains an issue, with many studies currently unpublished.
► Next step is to work together to expand knowledge of violence against Deaf women.