Power and the politics of abuse: rethinking violence in Filipina-Australian marriages.

In this paper we take as a starting point the perceived high prevalence of domestic violence in marriages between Filipino women and Australian men. In in-depth interviews and structured questionnaires with service providers and with Filipinas married to Anglo-Australian and Filipino men the issue of underreporting physical and emotional violence was a recurring theme. We explore the relationships of power that characterize these marriages, the changes in balance of power that result from the externalization of anger, physical and verbal violence, and stigmatization of domestic violence experienced by Filipinas individually and in the community. We suggest that social disapproval and stereotypical representations of Filipina-Australian marriages in Australian society, and the consequent shame experienced by Filipinas, has led to underreporting of emotional and physical abuse.