Socio-cultural risk factors impacting domestic violence among South Asian immigrant women: A scoping review

Domestic violence (DV) is a significant concern for the well-being of South Asian (SA) immigrant women. Although there have been empirical studies that discussed socio-cultural risk factors related to SA immigrant women's experience of DV, there have not been any efforts to summarize these factors in a single study. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize empirical studies that explored socio-cultural risk factors of DV among SA immigrant women in English speaking countries. 16 English language peer reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria. The socio-cultural risk factors identified in the reviewed studies included lack of social support, low acculturation, high enculturation, patriarchal beliefs, economic control by the husband, traditional gender role attitudes, and stigma about divorce. Implications for research and practice are discussed.