Predisposing, Enabling, and Reinforcing Factors in the Normalization of Intimate Partner Violence: A qualititative study of Afghan Refugee Women's Experiences in Torbat Jam Camp, Iran,2025

Background Intimate partner violence against women, especially Afghan migrant women, is a multidimensional phenomenon rooted in historical-cultural structures, gender inequalities, and the challenges of forced migration. This form of violence, reinforced in a context of asymmetric power between spouses and patriarchal norms, is compounded among Afghan migrant women: on the one hand, the experience of war, political instability, and prolonged displacement increase the psychosocial vulnerability of these women, while on the other hand, language barriers, limited access to support services in the host country, and fear of social stigma severely reduce the possibility of reporting or escaping the cycle of violence. The aim of this study is to discover, explain, and categorize predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors associated with intimate partner violence against Afghan women residing in Torbat Jam camp, Iran. Results In this study, 24 individuals were interviewed. The average age of informants was 35.3 years, most of whom were Housewife. Out of a total of 408 codes extracted in this study, 309 codes were related to predisposing factors, 61 codes were associated with enabling factors, and 10 codes were tied to reinforcing factors. Additionally, 28 codes were categorized as non-behavioral factors Conclusion In situations involving migrants or refugees, violence serves both as a means for individual control and as a way to perpetuate systemic oppression on a larger scale. Addressing this requires interventions focused on gender justice and interdisciplinary strategies, overseen and supported by international organizations and NGOs.