Asian survivors of sexual violence describe their struggles

Participants drawn from New Zealand’s secondary and tertiary institutions claimed Indian, Chinese, South Korean, Filipino or Pakistani ancestry.

Lead researcher Ying Wang, research associate at the University of Auckland’s Center for Arts and Social Transformation, said the experiences of sexual violence survivors in Asia remained unexplored, despite Asian ethnic groups making up 17.3% of New Zealand’s total population to finish.

“I believe addressing this divide is crucial to promoting inclusivity and equality within New Zealand society,” said Wang.

She said the needs of young Asian survivors were often neglected due to cultural and systemic invisibility within the Asian community.

“For example, our Asian community often has this idea of ​​being a ‘model minority,’” she said. “This can mask vulnerabilities such as sexual violence and make it a more hidden problem.”

Wang focused the study on young Asian survivors of sexual violence between the ages of 16 and 24, because they were at greater risk of being sexually assaulted.

“This age group – not just among Asians but across all demographics – is four times more likely to be sexually abused than other age groups,” she said.

Wang said that highly demarcated gender roles in Asian societies, the pressure to be a “model minority” in New Zealand’s cultural setting, the advice to “just move on” and the feeling of being weighed down by guilt all conspired to create the feeling that survivors had to suffer in silence. .

“For some Asian cultures, gender role really impacts young people’s (perspectives),” she said. “One participant said that she had experienced dating violence in a relationship for a long time, but did not realize that this was actually a form of sexual violence.

“The reason for this was that her own mother – her caregiver and a first-generation immigrant – had also experienced this kind of violence in a relationship.

“Because of her parents’ modeling, she thought it was a woman’s duty to have sex with men, regardless of whether they consented or not.”

She said New Zealand schools play a crucial role in supporting young survivors, and stressed the need to increase cultural competency in sex education.

“We have sex education (in schools),” she said. “But it’s not culturally responsive, it’s a one-size-fits-all.”

Teachers in schools across the country needed extra support in tackling the problem, she said.

“They need some knowledge,” she said. “They needed to know what it takes to be culturally competent, culturally sensitive and culturally responsive to these youth, and how to interact with their caregivers.”

Kelly Feng, CEO of Asian Family Services, chaired the panel discussion with experts in sexual violence prevention and trauma-informed care.

Feng emphasized the importance of tailored cultural competency training, culturally sensitive support and relevant education for healthcare providers and school educators.

“There is a lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate services,” she said. “People really can’t find any support system when they really need it.”

She drew attention to challenges in the cultural competency of school staff, noting that “there is no proper support system in place to effectively address these issues.”

“I would like to emphasize that there is a continuum of care in raising awareness and breaking down the shame stigma,” she said. “But it’s also about offering good workshops for healthcare providers, educators and schools to become more culturally competent, (so they) know how to deal with these issues.”

Feng called on the government to provide more resources for the country’s growing Asian population, stressing the need to break down the barriers faced by Asian survivors of sexual violence, especially in schools and local communities.

Debbi Tohill, executive director of Rape Prevention Education, said it is important to have culturally tailored role models in schools.

“It is very important that our young people can see themselves in the person who teaches them,” she said.

Tohill’s organization provided cultural training for its staff to ensure that teachers working in schools provided more culturally sensitive support services.

“We also do a lot of preparation before we go into the classroom with the teachers and guidance staff to make sure we know what’s happening in the school,” she said.

Registered psychologist Sehar Moughal urged New Zealand’s healthcare system to provide affordable, accessible and appropriate services to Asian survivors of sexual violence.

“If that doesn’t happen, there’s no healing,” Moughal said.

Moughal said survivors were at risk of re-victimization if they did not receive the right support.

In some cases, survivors can even perpetuate violence against others, she said.

Ethnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee called for more sex education in Asian communities and highlighted the role cultural and language barriers play in preventing victims from seeking help.

Lee urged educators and healthcare providers to take a more proactive role in supporting victims and reducing the risk of harm.

“Many people are entrenched in their culture and tradition, and often that can be a barrier for victims to come forward because they feel ashamed,” she said. “Families, adults and educators need to be more aware of how we support victims and also ensure that victimization does not occur in the first place.”

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