Family Violence and Migrant Women: Implications for Practice. Migrant Clinicians Network Clinical Supplement.

This newsletter supplement is devoted to the theme of domestic violence affecting migrant women. It contains four articles describing programs providing violence prevention education to migrant women and children. "Family Violence and Migrant Women: Implications for Practice" (Rachel Rodriguez) discusses the social isolation of migrant women; types of abuse, including preventing access to health care; abuse as an issue of power and control (not culturally acceptable behavior); the role of alcohol and substance abuse; and research needs. "Screening for Spouse Abuse in Primary Care Settings" (Janet Quillian) describes the incidence of physical abuse of women and teenage girls by husbands or boyfriends; abuse during pregnancy and related pregnancy and infant outcomes; and identification, documentation, and possible interventions by health professionals. "Battered and Pregnant" (Judith McFarlane) presents research that examined the prevalence of physical or sexual abuse among pregnant women; differences in incidence and severity among Anglos, Hispanics, and African-American women; and women's willingness to report abuse verbally to a health care provider as opposed to recording it on a medical intake form. "Battering of Migrant Women: A Migrant Outreach Program's Response" (Angela J. Cole) describes efforts of a Cumberland County (New Jersey) migrant health center to address the high incidence of domestic violence in migrant-worker camps, including outreach services, needs assessment, distribution of bilingual lists of "area resources" related to domestic violence, staff in-service education, and a school-based program aimed at influencing children's attitudes about violence toward women. Also included is a domestic violence assessment form in English and Spanish. (SV)