This paper presents and briefly discusses five research-based findings regarding violence against American-Indian and Alaska-Native men and women.
One finding is that most American-Indian and Alaska-Native adults are victims of violence, with approximately 83 percent having experienced some form of violence in their lifetimes. A second finding is that American-Indian and Alaska-Native women and men have been victimized at similar rates but in different ways, including similar levels of psychological aggression and physical violence by intimate partners; however, women have experienced significantly higher levels of sexual violence (56.1 percent compared to 27.5 percent for men) and stalking (48.8 percent compared with 18.6 percent for men). A third finding is that victimization rates are higher for American Indians and Alaska Natives compared to White women and men (1.2 times higher for women and 1.3 times higher for men) A fourth finding is that American-Indian and Alaska-Native female victims are more likely to need services for the harm done compared to White female victims, but they are less likely to have access to needed services. The fifth finding is that for American Indians and Alaska Natives, interracial violence is more prevalent than intraracial violence. This finding provides strong support for the sovereign right of federally recognized tribes to criminally prosecute non-Indian perpetrators. Until recently, federally recognized tribes did not have this authority, even for crimes committed on tribal lands. 2 figures and 1 reference