"Being Bashed is Just Something I have to Accept": Western Samoan Women's Attitudes Towards Domestic Violence in Christchurch

Jo Cribb

New Zealand-born Western Samoans are now an important part of New Zealand’s multicultural society. Previous research has shown that the Western Samoan community has attempted to transmit its traditional values and social structures in the New Zealand context - although not without modifications and concessions.

This paper explores the modified structures of one New Zealand Samoan community based in Christchurch, and considers women’s attitudes towards domestic violence and perceptions of their community’s ability to provide support for them. The study was undertaken as part of a larger research project.

Thirty Samoan women living in Christchurch were interviewed, and asked what they would do if their male partners became violent towards them. Some women perceive that they are forced into a position where they must accept domestic violence.

This paper shows that acceptance of domestic violence is linked to their perceived ability to access “westernised” (palagi) support services and the limited help traditional social support structures can provide when operating in an urban context. This poses a serious challenge to social policy makers to find ways to deliver support to women who, due to perceived cultural barriers, cannot access it.