Intimate Partner Violence in Muslim Communities

Abstract

Despite intimate partner violence (IPV) being a global phenomenon, there is a scarcity of literature on the IPV in Muslim communities. This is especially true when it comes to empirical studies. As a first step towards remedying this deficit, this paper conducted a systematic review of the current empirical literature pertaining to IPV among Muslims. The purpose of the review is to develop an overview of the findings of the past studies that empirically examine the topic of IPV and Muslims. This overview assesses the areas or topics in the existing literature, critiques the meth- odologies used, documents their results, and identifies the gaps for future research.The final analysis includes 35 empirical studies on this topic both in the US and globally. The findings are discussed under the following identified themes: prevalence and types of abuse, factors associated with exposure to IPV, attitudes towards IPV, experiences of coping and support, IPV and health consequences, and service response. Policy and future research implications of this study are presented.For instance, future research needs to focus on the intersections of religion, culture, political history, socioeconomic status, immigration status and the history of patriarchal oppression related to cultural practices of families and their effects on IPV