Arts & Social Sciences
Te Kura Kete Aronui

Abstract

Khan, S. (1997). Domestic violence among the Fijian Indians.

There is an exploratory research on domestic violence among the Fijian Indians. Seven Fijian Indian women who experienced a violent relationship gave an in-depth account of their experiences. Five service providers from organizations involved in the domestic violence area, and who came into frequent contact with victims, were also interviewed. The service providers gave their views on how adequately they were able to deal with domestic violence. They also made suggestions on how their services could be improved.

The method used to collect data was in-depth interviews. For the women's interviews, a loosely structured questionnaire was used. Thus, the women were not restricted in their responses nor were their responses bound by rigid questions. The could tell their stories in their own style. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for interviews with the service providers. Their responses were sought on similar topics but occasionally the questions were designed to suit a particular interview.

The research revealed that the incidents of violence experienced by the seven women were similar to the experiences of Fijian Indian women reported in previous literature. Women suffered physical and psychological abuse. The abuse had a devastating and life long effect on their lives. The violence affected the women's self-esteem and also their outlook on life generally.

The study also found discrepancies between services available to victims of abuse and services that were actually access by the women. The service providers were unsuccessful in preventing further abuse. The service providers mentioned various ways they tried to deal with the problem of violence but, mainly due to inadequate resources, they were ineffective in meeting the needs of the women. The objectives of an organization determined the nature of help the women received.

The government needs to devote more resources to agencies dealing with domestic violence. Organisations dealing with domestic violence need to work together, and people have to be educated that domestic violence is not an acceptable behaviour.