SECTION 10: CONCLUSION
The findings of this study demonstrate the impact of experiencing FV on children. The participants in this study shared their knowledge and insights about being marginalized as children and navigating socio-economic marginalization as racialized immigrants by the dominant culture. The recommendations from participants show the need for subsidized, individualized, holistic mental health supports and practical assistance for children. The tangible ways that those recommendations can be enacted provide opportunities for service providers working in the social service sector to work collaboratively with partners in the community sector to deepen their knowledge and engage in advocacy in areas such as immigration, housing, income support programs, education, and trauma-informed, culturally appropriate services to meet the needs of racialized immigrant children (Kulkarni, 2019).
In addition to developing services for the specific and multi-layered needs of racialized immigrant children experiencing FV, we can transform the sectors of education, health, family law, and the justice system to include culturally appropriate, trauma-informed services. Our previous research on domestic violence in immigrant communities discussed how the social and community sectors could work more effectively with the justice sector to provide a better, more responsive system for people who have experienced domestic violence (Chaze et al., 2021; George et al., 2022). The current research has emphasized this need, as the voices of youth who had lived through domestic violence as children contributed their experiences to deepen our understanding. Additionally, we need to bolster funding for community-based services for families experiencing FV informed by knowledge grounded in that community (Kanagarathnam et al., 2021; Kulkarni, 2019).
As we learn to be more responsive researchers and social service, community, and legal professionals, we can contribute to changing the landscape for people who experience FV. In the words of our research participant Chiairo, “alternative systems of care and practitioners within those systems who have a greater understanding of some of the social and cultural dynamics that might be at play” are important if we are going to see improvement in the experiences of immigrant racialized families who find themselves in situations of FV.
