Title: Study on Intimate Partner Violence: Culturally Competent Services for Latinos in New Jersey
1Study on Intimate Partner Violence Culturally
Competent Services for Latinos in New Jersey
- Maria J. Zarza, Ph.D.
- Teresa Santana, M.A.
2Background
- IPV is a public health concern in the U.S. and
worldwide (Bachman, 2000 World Health
Organization, 2000) - Death of women last year in the U.S. (MFIPV Vs
FMIPV) and NJ - Death of men last year in the U.S. (FMIPV Vs
MFIPV) and NJ - Death of Latinos in last year in the U.S.A.
- Annual cost of IPV estimated in 67 billion
(Miller, Cohen Wiersema, 1996) - Findings on prevalence of IPV in Latinos vs other
groups is contradictory Double in Latinos
(Straus Smith, 1990) vs similar prevalence
(Kaufman Kanton, Jasisnki Aldarondo, 1994) - Scientist seem to agree on the urgency and
severity of the problem of IPV in the Latino
community (Perilla, 1999 Amaro.
3Background
- Identified risk factors in the literature
- History of Violence in childhood (Schafer,
Caetano, Cunradi, 2004 Straus Yodanis, 1996
Widom, 1989). - SES (poverty, unemployment, low education levels)
- Socioeconomic and power imbalance between men and
women - psychological factors (impulsivity, cognitions,
attitudes, perception of retaliation capacity,
mental health (pathological jealousy, stress,
etc.) - Substance abuse Alcohol (MFIPV)
- Immigration Acculturation process and stress
incrementing IPV in Latino families
4- IPV Model for Latinos
- (Schafer, Caetano Cunradi, 2004)
M.alcohol
M.chAB
MFIPV
M.impul
F.chAB
F.alcohol
FMIPV
F.impul
5Services for Latinos in NJ (Mercer County)
There is serious lack of health and human
services programs meeting the needs of Latinos in
NJ. IPV has been described as one of the five
most severe problem in the community
(Escobar-Haskins,2004).
- Batterers Intervention Programs
- (Catholic Charities El Centro de Recursos para
Familias) - Compassion Workshop (Stosny, 1995)
- Trauma healing and Anger Management
- Victims Services
- (Womanspace, La Casa de Don Pedro, El Centro)
- Intervention based on feminist theories that
explain IPV as caused by the imbalance of power
between male and female. - Model Duluth Model of Power and Control
Empowering women - Cycle of Power and Control (Walker, 1979) based
on White women.
6Research questions
- Goal Contribute to the service improvement for
Latinos in New Jersey - What are the characteristics and needs of Latina
immigrants victims of IPV in NJ? - What are the associated risk factors related to
the occurrence of MFIPV in immigrant Latinas? - Test the model (Shafer, Caetano Cunradi, 2004)
to explain the variance of three dependant
variables Emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
7Method
- Subjects 73 immigrant Latinas victims of MFIPV
- Procedure The Center for Hispanic Policy
Research and Development (a Division of the
Department of Community Affairs) facilitated
contact with 30 community-based organizations in
New Jersey at the service of Latinos and Victims
of IPV. Around 10 of these organizations
participated in the study. - Agencies Camden, Trenton, Newark, Princeton, New
Brunswick, Hightstown, Atlantic City. - Data collection individually
- Protection of Human Subjects No victims in
emergency situation, crisis shelter or living in
temporal residential centers participated in the
study. Confidential set of questionnaires were
provided.
8Variables and measurements
- Demographics
- SES
- Alcohol and other drugs
- Areas of conflict
- Degree of MFIPV
- History of Violence
9Analysis
- The phase of analysis consists of
- 1) Descriptive and frequency analysis of
demographic factors and other variables. - 2) Correlation analysis to identify related risk
factors - 3) Multiple regression analysis to test the
Schafer, Caetano Cunradi (2004) model to
explain the variance for the levels of MFIPV in
a) emotional, b) physical and c) sexual abuse in
the sample, and d) all three levels of abuse
combined.
10Instrument Variables
- 1) Demorgraphic Questionnaire Closed ended
qualitative questions (age, number of children,
employment status, country of origin, residencey
status in the United States, etc.) of the victims
and their partners. In addition to the following
variables were included - Level of education, economic status (City of
Trenton, 1998), Consumption of alcohol and other
drugs. - 2) Family Conflict evaluation Questionnnaire and
the search for help on belhalf of the victim. - Area of conflict money, household
responsibilities, childrens education, sexual
relations. - Level of emtional violence consist of seven
questions on conduct (e.g. Indicate the number
of times that your partner insulted you,
humiliated you in public, etc.) where the
participants select from the differet frequencies
(never, 1 or 2 times, from 3 to 6 times, from 7
to 15 times, from 16 to 25 times and more than 25
times). The victim also had an option to describe
other forms of emotional abuse as well as the
frequency of the abuse that occured in their
relationship. - Level of physical violence consists of eleven
conduct questions (e.g. indicate the number of
times that your partner hit you, kicked you,hit
you with an object, etc.) where the participants
select between different frequencies (never, 1 or
2 times, from 3 to 6 times, from 7 to 15 times,
from 16 to 25 times and more than 25 times). In
addition, the victim had the option of describing
other acts of physical violence and the frequency
of the violent acts that occurred in their
relationship. - Level of sexual violence consists of three
conduct questions (e.g. indicate the number of
times that your partnerpressured you or has
forced you to have sex against your will,
conducted humiliating and/or painful sexual acts,
etc.) where the participants select between
different frequencies (never, 1 or 2 times, from
3 to 6 times, from 7 to 15 times, from 16 to 25
times and more than 25 times). In addition, the
victim had the option of describing other acts of
sexual violence and the frequency of the sexual
violent acts that occurred in their relationship. - 3) Evaluation questionnaire on the history of
maltreatment in childhood - Level of violence that existed in the family of
the male partner the evaluation of the presence
of a) violence between the parents (emotional
and physical) and b) parental violence towards
the male partner (emotional and physical) when he
was a child. There are a total of eight items
with four grade levels (0 never, 1 sometimes,
2 many times, 3 very frequently). Finally,
the points of everl level was analyzed to
determine the level of total violence in
childhood, violence between the parents and the
child. - Level of instability in the families of the male
partner the evaluation of the abandonment of the
male on behalf of the father or mother, martial
infidality on behalf of the father or mother,
etc. Was conducted. The participants answered
whether the above had occurred (1) or not (0).
The answers are analyzed in order to obtain the
level of instability in the male partners family.
11Undocumented 38
Low paid Jobs
Poverty 50 a 75
Lack of transportation 40 at least
Marginzalized Urban areas 95.9
Young women 36
Not fluent in English 56.9
Lack of Medical insurance 40 at least
Isolated from family, culture, friends
12Use of Services
- 46.6 Never reported the abuse to the police.
- 20.6 Never talked about the abuse with anyone
(47.2 female friends, 35.6 sisters, 28.8
mother, 26.4 other relatives, 19.4 father, and
18.3 neighbors) - 44.6 rested in bed after a battering, however
- Only 29.2 use the emergency services of a
hospital. - 12.3 were hospitalized after the battering at
least once. - 47.9 Never talked about the abuse to a social
worker, counselor, therapist, doctor or priest.
13Bivariate Correlation Analysis
Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level
Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level
Correlation is significant at the 0.001 level
14Multivariable Regression Analysis
Dependent variable Level of Abuse
Dependent variable Level of Emotional Abuse
Dependent variable Level of Physical Abuse
Dependent variable Level of Sexual Abuse
15Conclusions and recommendations
- Conclusions
- Immigrant Latinas victims of MFIPV and their
children are highly isolated and vulnerable for
chronic abuse, poverty, mental and physical
health problems, deportation, and other serious
consequences of abuse and isolation. - There is a high demand of services designed
specifically for Latinos (victims and
perpetrators) in NJ - The risk factors for emotional, physical and
sexual abuse can be different. - Alcohol use and impulsivity are important risk
factors to explain MFIPV (emotional, physical and
sexual abuse). - The male history of child abuse is also related
significantly to emotional abuse, however is not
as a strong predictor of MFIPV.
16Recommendations for service improvement
- Consideration of substance abuse and impulsivity
in addition to the child abuse factor in the
intervention. - Consideration of socio-demographic
characteristics and barriers language, cultural
issues, immigration status, transportation,
poverty, child-care, etc. in the program design
and implementation (i.e. affidavit for victims in
a deportation process). - Importance of strong outreach to recruit victims
and families in struggle community, church,
women groups, providing activities other than IPV
community education, etc. - Colaboración en la comunidad Latino
professionals, volunteers, giving a voice to
survivors of violence, etc.