NCJ Number
168518
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 12 Issue: 6 Dated: December 1997 Pages: 814-831
Date Published
1997
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study compared adaptations to work-related stress experienced by Hispanic Americans and Anglo Americans.
Abstract
Previous research has established that both work stress and alcohol abuse are associated with increased risks for wife assaults; however, prior studies have not considered whether these relationships vary by ethnicity. This study used data from the 1992 National Alcohol and Family Violence survey, a national household survey of 1,970 families, including an oversampling of Hispanic families, to examine relationships among several types of stressors associated with the workplace, heavy drinking, and wife assaults. Two questions addressed stress associated with the workplace. Alcohol consumption was measured by asking respondents about their own and their partners' quantity and frequency of drinking. Physical aggression was measured with the Conflict Tactics Scale. Sociodemographic variables measured were poverty, occupational status, and education. The findings show that Anglo and Hispanic husbands coped with the measured stressors differently. Among Hispanic husbands, all work stressors examined were associated with increased levels of both drinking and violence. In contrast, those same work stressors were associated with elevated levels of drinking, but not violence, among Anglos. Multivariate analyses show that alcohol-mediated effects of work stress on wife assaults were evident only for Anglo husbands who had been laid off or fired in the previous year. Explanations for the findings are discussed, along with policy implications. 2 tables, 3 figures, and 28 references