Problems outside "the mainstream."
This is a good move, and it shows awareness of the fact that members of minority communities are especially vulnerable to domestic violence, and are less likely to know their rights and alternatives.
Special Problems
Members of any "non-mainstream" community face a varying level of social isolation that makes it easier for abusers to get away with their crimes. These communities can be ethnic or racial in nature, like the Spanish-speaking people in the article. The isolation can be age-related -- children and the elderly are more vulnerable to abuse. The isolation can also be disability-related. The rate of domestic violence in the deaf community is estimated to be twice the national average.
But whatever the reason for the isolation, the presence of the isolation is what makes domestic violence more common. In isolated communities, there is less contact with the mainstream, and that means there is less contact with law enforcement and other entities that can help the victim.
Isolated communities present a higher level of vulnerability for the intended victim. Some victims aren't even aware that domestic violence is illegal! But how are they supposed to know that when they are only six years old? How are they supposed to know when they come from a country that had no laws against domestic violene? How are they supposed to know when they can't speak or read English?
Isolation can take many forms. An elderly person may have no way of finding out what the current laws are. A deaf person can't use an ordinary telephone to call for help. A person who only goes to their church for help may only encounter a lecture on forgiveness and the sanctity of the family, and an instruction to go back to the husband and stop "making" him hit her. And since laws vary from state to state, a new resident of a state may not be aware of the increased protection that state provides.
Availability of Information
Information about domestic violence, and the options the survivor has, is often hard to come by. Most people know all about the fact that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez got divorced, and the fact that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have split up. In my case, I know all about these things even though I don't care, and don't even want to know. But that information is everywhere! It would take enormous effort to avoid it.
By contrast, very few people know about domestic violence laws, and the options available for people who are being abused. Many Hispanic abusers keep their victims quiet by telling them that if they report the abuse, they will be deported. The isolated victim often believes the threat, even though it is not true, and keeps quiet. In isolated groups, there is also a strong peer pressure to keep problems inside the group, and away from the mainstream power structure.
Problems in the "Mainstream."
Members of isolated groups often have a low level of trust for the mainstream, and often that distrust is justified, or at least understandable. Why should a deaf person trust the "hearing" power structure? In that person's experience, people who are not deaf have never understood deaf peoples' needs; why should it be any different with domestic violence?
Ethnic minorities have often encountered rudeness and poor service because of their minority status. People with special needs have often seen their needs go unmet, even after they have been promised help. Homosexuals have been rejected by the entities that should be helpng them, and have to rely on information from within their group. Elderly people who complain of abuse are often dismissed as "senile." Children who report abuse are often told to "never talk about it," or are accused of having asked for it or caused it.
Recent high-profile cases have done nothing to reassure the victims of violence. Countless rape cases have featured a full media onslaught against the victim. Legislators and judges search for ways to deprive victims of protection -- the latest tactic of hiding behind the "gay marriage statutes" is just the latest outrage. Young victims are told by their molesters that they are to blame, and attorneys, judges and juries sometimes agree.
