Domestic conflict and coping strategies among Korean immigrant women in the United States

Abstract

This study explores the prevalence of domestic violence (i.e., physical assault, psychological aggression, negotiation skills, and injury) occurring among Korean immigrant women and related predictors of domestic violence. This study also investigated the relationships between domestic violence and coping strategies (i.e., problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and avoidance oriented coping) utilized by Korean immigrant women. In addition, this study probed the predicting factors that affect on the types of coping strategies utilized. One hundred and thirty six Korean immigrant women, who came to the U.S. after age sixteen and married or have been married, participated in this study. Data were collected using questionnaires translated in Korean to measure domestic violence and coping strategies and related predictors: life stress, violence experienced as a child, alcohol use by a male partner, and cultural characteristics of Korean immigrant women. Multiple regression analysis was used as the main statistical technique to test the research questions in this study. This study indicated that religious involvement, alcohol use by a male partner, and physical assault experienced in childhood had significant relationships with domestic violence (i.e., physical assault, psychological aggression, and injury). Only the emotion-focused coping strategy was positively related to domestic violence (i.e., physical assault, psychological aggression, and injury). It was found that age, English proficiency, length of residence, immigration stress, alcohol consumption, and at-risk drinking had significant relationships with coping strategies (i.e., emotion focused coping). This study suggests the importance of social work service toward domestic violence and the coping strategies among Korean immigrant women. Implications for social work practice policy, and future research were discussed.