Saheli Conducts Research on Prevalence of Domestic Abuse and Needs of Survivors

By Katy Hurley

Throughout late summer and fall, Saheli undertook preliminary research to better understand the prevalence of domestic abuse in New England’s South Asian communities, and to conduct a needs assessment of survivors of domestic abuse in 12 towns north and west of Boston in order to serve the area more effectively. With a mini-grant from the Community Health Network Area 15, Saheli partnered with Boston University research psychologist Uma Millner to develop a survey and distribute it at outreach events. Preliminary findings indicate that South Asian respondents born in the U.S. are more likely to say that they have experienced abuse than South Asian respondents born overseas, and that 50% of survey respondents said they know someone who has experienced abuse. Research still is in the early stages, however, and results are not conclusive.

The second phase of the project will involve modifying the survey and posting it on Saheli’s website. If you would like to participate, please stay tuned to our homepage.