• Consider potential cultural and language barriers, such as religious customs and social structures, when working with victims, such as religious customs and social structures.
• Know how to work with language interpreters prior to communicating with refugees or immigrants. Use qualified interpreters, not victims' family members, to translate.
• Communities should maintain a group of contacts for victim services, including health care, social services and law enforcement.
• Be aware that it is rare for individuals to self identify as victims of violence; they are more likely to be present in emergency departments or hospitals for unrelated health causes, including pregnancy assessments or children's doctor appointments.

"Although interpersonal violence and violence against women and children are universal occurrences, language and culture are unique to individuals, and service providers need to be sensitive to each person's specific needs and circumstances," Hume said. "We cannot know what trauma any one person has experienced, and we have to be vigilant about making communication as safe and culturally appropriate as possible."

University of Missouri health expert Deb Hume, assistant teaching professor in the Master of Public Health Program, discusses issues of immigrant and refugee violence and the need for effective intervention strategies and health care services.

(Photo Credit: MU News Bureau)

Hospitals, clinics and service organizations can train workers and language interpreters to be aware of these issues. The experts say it is important to recognize that immigrants and refugees:

• May be, or are, victims or witnesses of torture;
• May be under pressure to perform potentially abusive rituals or practices;
• May be victims of human trafficking (are being sold for sex or labor);

Hume is working with the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition to develop a support network for victims of violence in Columbia. For more information about immigrant victims of violence, please visit: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/index.html http://www.endabuse.org/section/programs/immigrant_women

Deb Hume, assistant teaching professor in the University of Missouri Master of Public Health Program, speaks with MU students about working with immigrant victims of violence.

(Photo Credit: MU News Bureau)

Barbara Bogomolov, director of refugee services for Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, answers a question from Caritas Habimana, a Columbia resident from Rwanda, about problems that arise with interpretation services.

(Photo Credit: MU News Bureau)

Source: University of Missouri-Columbia