This is the summary of a 2-day workshop hosted by the Violence and Victimization Division of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in order to discuss issues related to violence against women among racial, ethnic, and cultural minorities.
The introduction to the workshop notes issues to be discussed in presentations and discussions, including homicide among minority women, violence against military women, the prevention of intimate partner violence against women, trauma and mental health issues among female victims of violence in specific Indian tribes, differences in research and service approaches for battered women in different communities, services for battered immigrant women, and findings on violence against women from the National Crime Victimization Survey. The first day of the work shop consisted of group discussions on the benefits and relevance to minority communities of research on violence against women; how to involve communities of color in this research, and research methods on violence against women in minority communities. The workshop's second day consisted of a review of the highlights of Thursday's discussions, followed by a presentation and group discussion of the NIJ research portfolio on violence against women. The group then addresses future directions and strategies for research on violence against women, as well as evaluations of programs that are intended to prevent and serve female victims of violence.