Vulnerabilities of Clients Seeking Services for Intimate Partner Violence: Does Hispanic

Ethnicity and Birthplace Matter?

1School of Nursing and Health Studies, 2School of Education and Human Development, University of Miami

e, Date, 2012 State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research, Washington, DC

Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research

Research reported in this presentation was supported by the National Institute On Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P60MD002266. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

1Gonzalez-Guarda, R.M., 2Fernandez, M., 1Mitchell, E. & 1Lopez, J.

Background and Significance

• Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), physical, sexual, psychological abuse and/or stalking by a current or previous partner, is significant public health problem

• Racial and ethnic minority groups appear to be disproportionately affected by IPV

• Little is known about differences among victims of IPV that can account for these differences, especially within Hispanic sub-groups

(Bonomi et al., 2009; Caetano, Field, Ramisetty-Mikler & McGrath, 2005; CDC, 2011)

Intersecting Vulnerabilities: The Multicultural Power and Control

Wheel

(Chavis & Hill, 2009, pg. 128)

Purpose

1. Explore differences in individual, relationship and abuse vulnerabilities among White, Black and Hispanic victims seeking services for IPV

2. Explore variations in these characteristics among Hispanics from different countries of birth

Conceptual Framework

IndividualCharacteristic

•Age•Income•Health insurance

RelationshipCharacteristics

•Marital status•Living with partner•Financial dependence

AbuseCharacteristics

•Type of abuse•Abuse duration•Weapon used

Race/Ethnicity of Victim

White

Black

Hispanic

BirthplaceCuba

NicaraguaU.S.

Methods

• Design• Secondary data analysis

• Cross-sectional

• Sample & Setting• Family Justice Center in

South Florida

• Measures• Intake Form

• Procedures• Data entry of paper doc into

research database

• QA

• Analysis• ANOVA

• Chi-square analysis

Clients Seen 3/11 - 9/11n = 539

Victims of IPV n = 380

Hispanic IPV Victims’ Birthplace

n = 238

US (n=120)Cuba (n=53)

Colombia (n=34)Nicaragua (n=31)

White, Black and Hispanic Victims of IPV

n = 368

Results: Does Race/Ethnicity Matter?

White%(n) orM (SD)

Black%(n) orM (SD)

Hispanic%(n) orM (SD)

Test Statisticχ²(df,n)F(df,df)

Individual

Age 35.81(10.67) 32.09(10.41) 35.73 (11.21) F(2,365)= 3.00

Income (month) 876.35(3234.56)1533.01(7503.70)

2813.51(13077.00) F(2,365)= .62

Health Insurance 50%(18) 50%(34) 29%(78) χ²(4,368)= 14.57**

Relationship

Marital Status (Married)

33%(12) 22%(15) 48%(128) χ²(10,368)= 44.08***

Living with Abuser (Yes)

17%(6) 16%(11) 14%(37) χ²(6,368)= 2.30

Financially Dependent

31%(11) 24%(16) 38%(100) χ²(10,368)= 5.97

*p <.05, **p <.01, ***p<.001

Results: Does Race/Ethnicity Matter?

White%(n) orM (SD)

Black%(n) orM (SD)

Hispanic%(n) orM (SD)

Test Statisticχ²(df, N)

Abuse

Physical 72%(26) 81(54) 72%(26) χ²(4,368)= 2.76

Sexual 22%(8) 13%(9) 16%(43) χ²(4,368)= 1.92

Verbal 75%(27) 64%(43) 87%(232) χ²(4,368)= 24.92***

Psychological 58%(21) 37%(25) 68%(180) χ²(4,368)= 22.03***

Stalking 31%(11) 30%(20) 29%(78) χ²(4,368)= 1.27

Weapon 31%(11) 28%(19) 15%(39) χ²(4,368)= 20.07**

*p <.05, **p <.01, ***p<.001

Results: Does Birthplace Matter?

US%(n) orM (SD)

Cuba%(n) orM (SD)

Colombia%(n) orM (SD)

Nicaragua%(n) orM (SD)

Test Statisticχ²(df,n)F(df,df)

Individual

Age 31.32(9.15) 40.09(11.59) 37.26(9.81) 38.45(15.91) F(3,234)= 10.65***

Income2,922

(11,631)4,742 (22,203) 453 (667) 1,856(6,137) F(3,234)= .673

Health Insurance 56%(67) 36%(19) 24%(8) 26%(8) χ²(6,238)= 21.24**

Relationship

Marital Status 24%(29) 26%(29) 74%(25) 55%(17) χ²(15,238)= 57.29***

Living with Abuser 13%(15) 19%(10) 18%(6) 16%(5) χ²(9,238)= 16.03

Financially Dep. 26%(31) 30%(16) 47%(16) 26%(8) χ²(9,238)= 17.57*

*p <.05, **p <.01, ***p<.001

Results: Does Race/Ethnicity Matter?

US%(n) orM (SD)

Cuba%(n) orM (SD)

Colombia%(n) orM (SD)

Nicaragua%(n) orM (SD)

Test Statisticχ²(df,n)

Abuse

Physical 78%(94) 72%(38) 68%(23) 74%(23) χ²(6,238)= 5.54

Sexual 16%(19) 9%(50 15%(5) 23%(7) χ²(6,238)= 4.47

Verbal75%(90) 79%(42) 88%(30) 87%(27)

χ²(6,238)= 8.55

Psychological 48%(57) 55%(29) 71%(24) 65%(20) χ²(6,238)= .160

Stalking 37%(44) 21%(11) 29%(10) 23%(70 χ²(6,238)= 7.82

Weapon 29%(35) 19%(10) 0 13%(4) χ²(9,238)=

32.73***

*p <.05, **p <.01, ***p<.001

Summary of Findings

• Overall, Black and Hispanic clients reported more vulnerable individual, relationship and abuse characteristics

• White victims were more likely to report having a weapon used

• Although more individual and relationship differences were found by birthplace, less variation existed in reported abuse

• U.S. born Hispanics were younger and more likely to report health insurance and that a weapon was used during the abuse

• Colombian-born victims were more likely to be married and financially dependent on the perpetrator

Limitations

• Secondary data analysis• Quality of intake form completion• Limited measures

• Cross-sectional• Complexities of race/ethnicity and vulnerability

• Different groups sizes• Unable to include other groups (e.g., Haitians,

Mexicans)• Generalizability

• Only can tell us about IPV victims accessing services

Implications

• Research• Longitudinal studies • Measures/assessments for victimization• Culturally tailored interventions

• Practice• Group and individual patterns relating to

vulnerability • Policy

• Increase access to IPV social and health services (e.g., victim compensation, health insurance)

• Role that gun policies play on weapon use norms in abusive intimate relationships

Thank You

rosagonzalez@miami.edu