Throughout the years that KAN-WIN has been serving Asian American and immigrant sexual assault survivors, staff have uncovered numerous obstacles such as extreme shame felt by survivors and language barriers when dealing with law enforcement. Furthermore, while KAN-WIN has received numerous calls on its crisis hotline from sexual assault survivors, many callers struggled to follow through with services afterwards. There was a growing need to explore the barriers Asian immigrant survivors faced in receiving services and learn about the prevalence of sexual violence in the community. There has been, however, very limited research on sexual violence in the Asian American and immigrant community.
Thus, KAN-WIN launched this survey project with the goals to: 1) determine the prevalence of sexual violence within the target community; 2) explore how its community members understand the dynamics surrounding the issue of sexual violence; 3) examine barriers to seeking help and safety, and 4) identify more effective, culturally competent methods of prevention, intervention, and advocacy on behalf of sexual violence survivors. KAN-WIN hopes that this survey can encourage more studies and research to be conducted to improve assistance towards Asian American and immigrant sexual assault survivors.
Related Resources
How To Make Sure Immigrant Women Aren’t Left Out of Me Too
We need policies that ensure that all workers, whether they are employees or contractors, have access to safety and justice in the workplace.
Sexual Violence in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities, 2018
Research and data on sexual abuse in Asia and in the U.S, community-specific abuse, child sex abuse, sexual abuse among young adults, and help-seeking & services.
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in the Pacific Islander Community, 2017
Erin Thomas, Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP)
An overview of the geographical, historical, ethno-linguistic, and cultural diversity of Pacific Islander communities; historical trauma; and GBV trends.
Domestic and Sexual Violence in Filipino Communities, 2018
A compilation of statistics on domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and help-seeking in Filipino communities.
Sexual Violence Against Asian and Pacific Islander Women, 2011
Types of sexual violence, vulnerable women and potentially dangerous settings.
Multi-Level Preparations for Domestic Violence Programs to Address Sexual Violence, 2009
Suggestions for advocates, survivors, communities and domestic violence agencies on how to address sexual violence.
by KAN-WIN
May 2017