Gender and ethnicity in domestic violence among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites

Domestic violence has a profound affect on our society, from the health care providers who work with perpetrators and victims on medical and psychological issues, to the legal system that enforces the law to protect them. This study was an effort to find which personal and social factors influence the development and maintenance of unhealthy relationships. Gender and ethnicity were the primary independent variables in an investigation of the influence of acculturation, familism, family environment, and conflict management on domestic violence. Information was collected from a total of 160 participants (96 female victims and 64 male perpetrators, non-partners) at the Albuquerque domestic violence shelter outpatient family program. Of the 160 participants, 138 were included in the analysis because they identified as either Hispanic (n = 91) or non-Hispanic White (n = 47).; Ethnic differences were found for age, with non-Hispanic Whites being older (M = 35.09) than Hispanics (M = 29.42). Alcohol related problems did not differ between males and females or between Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites. Significant gender differences were found on depression, with females reporting a significantly higher level of depression (M = 16.71) than males (M = 7.62). Acculturation is the process of changing beliefs and attitudes to that of the dominant culture (Rogler, Cortes, & Malgady, 1991). As expected, acculturation differed between the ethnic groups, but limited variability existed within the Hispanic population. Familism, the placement of family as a priority above all else (Sabogal, Marin, Otero-Sabogal, Marin, & Perez-Stable, 1987), did not differ between Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites. This result was not expected with the prediction that Hispanics would have higher levels of familism than non-Hispanic Whites. Females reported higher levels of conflict within their family environment, whereas males reported higher levels of active-recreational orientation (participation in physically active activities) within their family environment using the Family Environment Scale. Consistent with the characteristics of the shelter population and what was predicted, females reported significantly higher levels of injury by partner on the Revised Conflict Tactic Scale. Non-Hispanic Whites reported significantly higher use of negotiation than Hispanics. Subsequent analyses focused on the relationship between the family scales and the conflict tactic scales. Although the correlations were low, they were significant. Relationships were found between family factors and the injury, physical assault, and psychological aggression scales. The incorporation of measures to investigate family dynamics may be an important consideration for future studies investigating spousal abuse.