ABSTRACT
The immigrant population of Canada is growing at a rate that is four times faster than the Canadian-born population. According to the 2006 Canadian Census, the proportion of immigrants in the population, representing onefifth (19.8%) of the Canadian population, was at its highest in 75 years (Chui, Tran, & Maheux, 2007). Particularly in light of their increasing representation in Canada’s population, an understanding of immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Canada is a major gap in our knowledge of IPV. Raj and Silverman (2002) noted that a review of the literature across disciplines showed “a paucity of research on both the prevalence of IPV in immigrant communities and how immigrant status impacts women’s risk of violence” (p. 368). These researchers added that “the few quantitative studies are not representative samples and include little data on immigrant status” (p. 368). Indeed, most Canadian research consists of qualitative studies of battered immigrant women (e.g., MacLeod & Shin, 1993) or social service workers engaged with this population (e.g., MacLeod & Shin, 1990). One might expect representative sample data to show that immigrant women are in a situation of double jeopardy with respect to violence. Women living in Canada, in general, face a number of problems such as overrepresentation in “pink-collar” jobs, wage discrimination, and expensive child care facilities. However, in addition to being disadvantaged by virtue of their sex, immigrant women face several circumstances that may exacerbate their likelihood of violence.
