Understanding violence in refugee families: The need to consider social norms and attitudes

Theoretical models explaining violence in refugee families largely overlook social norms and attitudes condoning violence, which often predate displacement and provide a cultural script that guides interactional behaviour. This paper proposes an integrated model wherein displacement-related stressors and mental health problems activate, reinforce, and are interpreted through these norms and attitudes. Reviewing empirical evidence, we demonstrate how norms persist in displacement, drive intergenerational transmission, and interact with stressors across contexts. Consequently, a more robust integration of social norms into research and intervention is essential to disrupt the cycle of violence in refugee families.