NCJ Number
202643
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2003 Pages: 433-443
Date Published
August 2003
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the correlation between race of victim and intimate partner violence (IPV).
Abstract
Research has shown a relationship between Black victims and higher levels of violence, based on univariate examination and not considering other important factors. Data from the 1993-1999 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), a nationally representative sample of households in the United States, were used to examine race, gender, and income patterns in nonlethal intimate partner violence. Aggregate rates of IPV were introduced. It is shown how the rates and the patterns across White, Black, and other race populations shift by taking into account important victim characteristics. Disaggregated IPV rates based on victim’s gender, race, and household income are provided. Intimate partner violence affects persons of all races and income levels, though some populations are disproportionately victimized. Considering only bivariate relationships, the evidence suggests that Black individuals experience IPV at rates higher than White persons, that females experience IPV at rates higher than males, and that lower income households experience IPV at rates higher than higher income households. When victim characteristics are considered concurrently the relationship between victim’s race and rate of IPV is not significant. Significant relationships between rate of IPV and victim’s gender and income remain. These findings are inconsistent with a racial explanation of crime -- a Black subculture of violence. They support the notion that violence is largely associated with populations characterized by social and economic isolation. Future examinations should include more complex analyses, including the addition of other variables. The relationship between race and intimate partner violence should be addressed using a variety of datasets. An expansion of the national data collection process or localized special data collections will enable the appropriate examination of victims of “other races.” Though past research has demonstrated a correlation between race and intimate partner violence, this bivariate relationship does not remain once socioeconomic factors are considered. Future research should build on this notion in order to better understand and address the problem of intimate partner violence. 4 tables, 4 notes, 28 references