This study addresses an important gap in the current literature by modeling predictors of IPV within ethnic groups … and finding that alcohol appears to play a differential role in the occurrence of IPV over time in couples across ethnic groups, and that the alcohol use patterns of both the male and female need to be considered."
"The developmental course of partner violence may vary across ethnic groups," said Field. "For example, black couples reporting male-to-female partner violence were more likely to report both forms of partner violence five years later, while Hispanic couples reporting female-to-male partner violence were more likely to report both forms of partner violence five years later." Field said this information could be used to help identify couples most at risk for couples at risk for escalation of partner violence across time.
Furthermore, he said, the findings of male impulsivity as a significant risk factor among minorities and male alcohol consumption as a significant risk factor among white couples have important implications for prevention and intervention.
"It may be that brief alcohol interventions are more effective among white couples, and interventions focusing on anger management may be more useful for minority couples. However, the application of this knowledge from the general population to clinical settings requires further evaluation."
"Simply put," said Cunradi, "the contribution of alcohol, socio-demographic and psychosocial factors to IPV risk may vary across ethnic groups. Therefore, researchers and clinicians involved with IPV prevention and intervention need to be aware of these ethnic differences, and consider those factors most relevant to the populations they work with when designing studies or prevention programs."
Part One: Violence Varies by Ethnicity
