Service Provider and Beneficiary Perceptions of Collectivist Domestic Violence Social Issues

• Main Author: Samhouri, Annie Mohsen
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2013
• Subjects: family sociology; violence against women; domestic violence; intervention methods; collectivism; Middle East; Jordan; Sociology
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4277; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5276&context=etd

In this research I have focused on beneficiary and service providers' perceptions toward Arab social obstacles to help-seeking, appropriate intervention methods and obstacles to reintegration into the community after seeking assistance. Through semi-structured interviews and content analysis of local policies, laws and specific service offerings, I sought to contribute to the limited literature that explores how formal institutions that originate from a Western context are adapted to meet the unique needs of Arab victims of domestic violence. I found that the main social obstacles to help-seeking were attributed to a dearth of knowledge about existing services, a lack of confidence in formal institutions such as non-governmental and government agencies, a fear of rejection or punishment from their families and communities, concerns about laws that might increase a woman's vulnerability and limited economic resources.