The Continuum of Violence: A Qualitative Synthesis of Risk and Protective Factors of Intimate Partner Violence Among Adult Immigrant Women

Trauma Violence Abuse. 2026 May 15:15248380261440273. doi: 10.1177/15248380261440273. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a critical public health and human rights concern, disproportionately affecting immigrant women and shaped by intersecting social, cultural, and systemic inequalities. This review employs thematic synthesis to analyse qualitative evidence on how risk and protective factors influence IPV experiences among immigrant women after arrival in host countries. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2024 was conducted across six databases. A total of 31 studies were included, comprising both fully qualitative studies and the qualitative components of mixed-methods research. The findings indicate that the main risk factors are structural and systemic barriers, cultural norms and gender expectations, internalized barriers, and interpersonal and familial dynamics. In contrast, the protective mechanisms identified include personal empowerment and resilience, culturally sensitive formal support, and practical resources and accessibility. In addition, motherhood, informal social networks, employment, and religious practice emerged as double-edged factors, functioning as either risks or protections depending on policy environments and cultural meanings. Crucially, although this review focuses on IPV after arrival in host countries, the findings indicate that these experiences are deeply embedded in, and often shaped by, a continuum of violence spanning the migration life course. This synthesis advances understanding by situating IPV after arrival within broader life-course and structural violence perspectives, calling for multilevel, intersectional interventions that sustain immigrant women’s safety across migration trajectories.

PMID:42137998 | DOI:10.1177/15248380261440273