Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence Among White, Black, and Hispanic Couples in the United States

• NCJ Number: 200686
• Journal: Alcohol Research & Health Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: 58-65
• Author(s): Raul Caetano M.D.; John Schafer Ph.D.; Carol B. Cunradi M.P.H
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): R37-AA-10908
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses some of the theories that have been proposed to explain the differences in rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States, and it reviews results from a 1995 national survey on IPV among U.S. couples.

Abstract

The increased occurrence of IPV among ethnic minority groups compared with Whites has been explained in a variety of ways. Two explanations are encompassed under the "subculture of violence theory" and the "social-structural theory." The subculture of violence theory proposes that certain groups in society accept violence as a means of conflict resolution more than others. The social-structural theory proposes instead that IPV stems from the social-structural conditions (e.g., poverty, undereducation, high unemployment, and racial discrimination) that characterize the lives of members of a particular group. A number of theories focus on the effects of alcohol abuse on IPV and the varying rates of alcohol abuse among ethnic groups. The 1995 national survey found that 23 percent of the Black couples, 11.5 percent of the White couples, and 17 percent of the Hispanic couples surveyed reported an incident of male-to-female partner violence in the 12 months preceding the survey. The rate of female-to-male partner violence was also high: 15 percent among White couples, 30 percent among Black couples, and 21 percent among Hispanic couples. The survey found that 30-40 percent of the men and 27-34 percent of the women who perpetrated violence against their partners were drinking at the time of the abuse. Alcohol-related problems were associated with IPV among Blacks and Whites, but not among Hispanics. Alcohol's influence in partner violence may be explained by people's expectations that alcohol will have a disinhibitory effect on behavior or by alcohol's direct physiological disinhibitory effect. It is also possible that people consciously use alcohol as an excuse for their violent behavior or that alcohol appears to be associated with violence because both heavier drinking and violence have common predictors, such as an impulsive personality. Study limitations are discussed. 4 tables and 19 references