Minnesota releases its first major study of violence against Asian Women and Children.

Legislative Study on Violence against Asian Women and Children, 2017

Released on March 30th, 2017, this landmark study, commissioned by the Minnesota State Legislature and led by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), in partnership with the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Department of Human Services (DHS), was the first major study of violence against Asian women and children in Minnesota. It examined the types and prevalence of violence against Asian women and children, as well as the cultural contexts for this violence. Understanding these contexts was critical to the development of effective strategies to address violence against Asian women and children. Based on the legislative charge and the Working Group discussions, this study focused on the prevalence and nature of domestic/intimate partner violence, sexual assault, abusive international marriage, stalking and trafficking.

Rainbow Research Associate Director Rebecca (Beki) Saito.

The research design for this study utilized a mixed methods approach to gather quantitative and qualitative data from primary and secondary sources.The primary data collection included a new survey of adult Asian women called the Minnesota Asian Women’s Health Survey (MAWHS), key informant interviews, and focus groups; secondary data analysis included existing data from the Minnesota Student Survey of middle school and high school youth, and two college surveys. Qualitative data collection, including key informant interviews and focus groups, community relationships and workgroup facilitation was led by Co-Principal Investigator Rainbow Research’s own Rebecca Saito. Quantitative data collection and analysis was led by Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Ruby Nguyen, University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Read the full report here.