The Intersection of Race and Domestic Violence

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+ Intersection of Race and Domestic Violence

  • Women of color, and especially Black women, are disproportionately affected by domestic violence in the US. Additionally, there are many barriers that prevent them from receiving the same resources that white women receive.
  • “According to a 2018 report from the Department of Justice (DOJ), 41 to 60 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander women have reported abuse; 37.5 percent and 23.4 percent of Native American and Latinx women, respectively, said they were victimized by a partner at some point in their lives. Black women experience domestic violence 35 percent more than White women and 2.5 times the rate of other women of color.” - ColorLines

  • Factors that result in under-reporting of domestic violence among women of color, keeping in mind that there is heterogeneity within racial groups:

    • Distrust of law enforcement
    • Fear that they will not be believed
    • If they are an immigrant, fear that they will be deported
    • Lack of culturally or linguistically appropriate services
    • Lack of financial/legal resources
    • Fear that their experiences might confirm racial stereotypes
    • Fear of being criminalized, prosecuted, or incarcerated by the legal system
    • Legal status of the survivor
    • Strong loyalty ties to immediate and extended family
    • Cultural and/or religious beliefs about gender roles/power dynamics that prevent the woman from leaving her abuser
    • Oppression, including re-victimization is intensified at the intersections of race,
    • gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, legal status, age and socioeconomic status.

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+ Black Women

  • 41.2% of Black women have been physically abused by a partner in their lifetime (National Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Survery).
  • Between 2003 and 2012, Black women were victimized by intimate partner violence at a rate of 4.7 per 1,000, compared to 3.9 per 1,000 for White women and 2.3 per 1,000 for Hispanic women (National Crime Victimization Survey).
  • In 2013, 453 Black women were murdered by males in single victim/single offender homicides. Of Black women who knew their offenders, 56% were wives, common-law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends of the offenders (2013 FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Report).
  • Though Black women experience domestic violence at a rate 35% higher than that of White women, they are less likely to use social services, seek shelter, or go to the hospital due to domestic violence.
  • When Black/African/African-American women make contact with the legal system, they often experience institutional violence perpetrated by police officers and the justice system itself.
  • Some research has shown that Black women are hesitant to report their Black male abusers because it might impact their partner’s ability to seek work. Additionally, they may be hesitant to report due to law enforcement killings of and the mass incarceration of Black men, which increase distrust in law enforcement.

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+ Latinx/Hispanic Women

  • Despite similar prevalence of IPV between Hispanic and White women (Hispanic: 21.2%, non-Hispanic: 22.1%) , Hispanic women were more likely to report that they were raped by a current or former intimate partner at some time in their lifetime (Hispanic: 7.9%, non-Hispanic: 5.7%).
  • Of first generation Latinas, 48% of Latinas in one study reported that their partner’s violence against them increased since they immigrated to the US.
  • Within the Hispanic community, deportation is a powerful and intimidating control scheme that is difficult to overcome. Abusers may make threats exploiting these fears, such as “you will be deported” or “the government will take the children.”
  • Inaccessibility to information and resources, including language barriers, often prevent Hispanic women from seeking the appropriate services to aid her.

Sources:

+ Asian/Pacific Islander Women

  • 19.6% of Asian or Pacific Islander women reported experiencing rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (2011 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Study).
  • Between 41-60% of API women have reported experiencing DV (physical or sexual violence) in their lifetime (Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic violence Survey).
  • In a 2000-2001 survey of 178 API women, 81.1% reported experiencing domestic violence by an intimate partner within the year.
  • Further dynamics in API communities that create larger issues for reporting domestic violence include: multiple abusers residing in the home, push factors (“leave the house,” “give me a divorce,” etc.) from abusive partners occurring more often than pull factors (“come back to me,” “I love you,” etc.), and gender roles/power dynamics that are established by cultural and social values.

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+ Indigenous Women

  • 51% of American Indian/Alaska Native women experienced physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime (National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey).
  • The barriers of social isolation on rural reservations precludes some American Indian and Alaska Native women from obtaining adequate medical care including the availability of rape kits being preformed by trained medical staff to aid in prosecution.
  • Women residing on reservations may have restricted access to telephones, transportation, and childcare. Cultural norms and practices may force additional constraints on survivors, including fear of accusations of being an “informant.”

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