NCJ Number
213027
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 20 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 661-677
Date Published
December 2005
Length
17 pages
Annotation
After summarizing the authors' research on violence in Asian-American communities (domestic violence, dating violence, community violence, and war trauma), this article discusses methodological and ethical issues in such studies.
Abstract
The summaries focus on the studies' objectives and methodologies, without mention of the findings. One study was conducted among Cambodian students in middle and high schools in a city in Los Angeles County with a high concentration of Cambodian families. It examined students' and their parents' exposure to community violence in the United States and war traumas experienced under the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. The second study addressed the forms of domestic violence experienced by a sample of Asian-American victims, its cultural contexts, and victims' beliefs about the use of violence in families. The third study examined cross-cultural dating violence among Chinese-American college students. Following these study summaries a section of the article discuses methodological issues related to conceptual definitions and measurement instruments. Attention is given to the concepts of "race," "ethnicity," and "culture" when used in studies of Asians; the definition of "violence;" the definition of and responses to "trauma;" language issues; and response styles and biases. Another section on methodological issues discusses sampling designs and the fostering and maintenance of cooperation and trust. The discussion of the latter topic focuses on language issues, credibility and legitimization, training and supervising interviewers, and the dissemination of research findings. The section on ethical issues considers power dynamics in research with Asians, informed consent, confidentiality/anonymity, and ensuring participants' safety. 62 references