Research agenda for violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women: Toward the development of strength-based and resilience interventions

Objective: Exposure to violence threatens the health and well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women and children. In the first part of the commentary, we provide a brief overview of research, policies, and programs aimed at reducing violence against AI/AN women. In the second part, we present 3 recommendations for an expanded research agenda. The first recommendation is to promote participatory research on risk and protective factors to inform the development of culturally appropriate, strength-based and resilience interventions. The second recommendation is to increase applications of life course theories and examine the interconnectedness between intimate partner violence (IPV) and violence exposures that occur during childhood and older adulthood. The third recommendation is to conduct more studies on social and historical determinants of violence, with an emphasis on community and societal factors. Conclusions: Increased applications of theoretical frameworks may shed light on social, economic, historical, and cultural factors associated with violence against AI/AN women. Incorporating the factors in IPV prevention and intervention programs requires active participation and indigenous knowledge from AI/AN scholars, leaders, advocates, and communities. Diverse stakeholders play an important role in promoting the use of cultural strengths to improve the health and safety of AI/AN women and families.