From the Ground Up: Indigenous Women's after Violence Experiences with the Formal Service System in the United States

Abstract

Despite violence against indigenous women being a worldwide problem, important distinctions in their experiences with the formal service system exist, depending on the contexts in which they live. The absence of critical examinations of violence against women in the southeastern USA poses a critical gap in research. Therefore, the purpose of this critical ethnography was to gain a localised understanding of indigenous women's experiences with formal services in this region. The multidisciplinary service system included social services, mental health, law enforcement and criminal justice. Data included life history interviews with twenty-nine indigenous women, which were collected as part of a larger critical ethnography. Using Carspecken's (1996) critical method of data collection and analysis, results revealed themes including the impact of highly related communities and experiencing multiple victimisations across service systems. Specific challenges included confidentiality issues in a tight-knit community, delayed law enforcement responses, perpetrators escaping with impunity, and a need for accountability and consistency in the criminal justice system. Finally, participants noted a need for training across multiple service systems. Research findings highlight areas for improvement for social workers who work in a multidisciplinary service system to address violence against indigenous women.