We are committed to providing a safe, encouraging, engaging and non-judgmental environment that welcomes and respects the visible and invisible qualities that make people who they are, including their culture, traditions, ethnicity and beliefs. MSCFV continues to work to provide culturally competent programming, including specific services for the 13-16% of MSCFV clients that self-identify as Hispanic. Cultural Competency is the provision of programming that is culturally and linguistically respectful, responsive and aware, recognizing how a person’s culture may require different ways of delivering and communicating help.
The average Hispanic client is a 31-year-old unmarried woman with one (35%) or two (33%) children. Hispanic victims typically have low education levels, with two out of three (65%) lacking at least a high school diploma. A little more than half has earnings from employment; 24% report no income at all when they first come to MSCFV for services. The average Hispanic client received MSCFV services for 3.5 months. This is significantly longer than the average of two months for other MSCFV clients.
Most Hispanic victims who receive MSCFV services experience abuse at the hands of a boyfriend (67%) or spouse (52%) who lives with them. A significant minority of Hispanic victims (28%) have left their abuser at least once before. Half of Hispanic clients come to MSCFV for services after a specific abusive incident. Police are involved in most of these specific incidents.