Abstract
Background: Research suggests that intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with childhood maltreatment and violence exposure within the neighborhood context. This study examined the role of child maltreatment and violence exposure on intimate partner violence, with the moderating effects of mental disorders (IPV) among US Black women. Methods: Data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), the largest and most complete sample on the mental health of US Blacks, and the first representative sample of Caribbean Blacks residing in the United States was used to address the study objectives. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test of independence, t-test, and logistic regression procedures were used to analyze the data. Results: Bivariate results indicate an association between child abuse and intimate partner victimization among US Black women. Witnessing violence as a child as well as neighborhood violence exposure was also related to IPV but shown to differ between African American and Caribbean Black women. Multivariate findings confirmed the influence of mental disorders and social conditions on US Black women’s risk for IPV. Moderating effects of child maltreatment and mental disorders in association with adult IPV were not found. Conclusions: The study addressed the short and long-term impact of child maltreatment and the contribution to the cycle of intimate violence among US Black women including African American and Caribbean Blacks. The study suggests the need for prevention and intervention efforts to improve structural conditions for at-risk populations and communities predisposed to violence and other negative outcomes. Possibilities for future research are also discussed.
Highlights
Half (41.7%) of US Black women, including Caribbean women, currently comprising of one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups, have reported physical intimate victimization in their lifetime [1,2,3,4]
Statistics indicate the rate of child abuse among African Americans in the United States is second highest only to American Indian and Alaskan Native [6]
While there is general knowledge surrounding the association between adult intimate partner violence and child abuse, less is known about the role of neighborhood violence context exposure on intimate victimization among US Black women [7]
Summary
Half (41.7%) of US Black women, including Caribbean women, currently comprising of one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups, have reported physical intimate victimization in their lifetime [1,2,3,4]. Studies show that early childhood exposure to violence within families and the neighborhood context are precursors to intimate partner violence as an adult [5]. While there is general knowledge surrounding the association between adult intimate partner violence and child abuse, less is known about the role of neighborhood violence context exposure on intimate victimization among US Black women [7]. The framework evaluates behaviors that are normalized and rewarded while examining operant methods that provide explanations on how experiences with child abuse or exposure to violence may be linked to adult victimization [21]. The intergenerational transmission hypothesis further contends that violent behavior is learned through modeling and imitation, and such behavior is acquired in the early life course during childhood and through observation of parents and peer relationships [22,23]. Violence within the home or against children is rooted in the subconscious and intergenerational cycle of violence that perpetuates from one generation to the [24,25]
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