Another Paradox? Symmetric Versus Directed Intimate Partner Violence in Latino Immigrant Neighborhoods

• In Event: Immigration and Crime In Context: Mediators, Moderators, and Outcomes

Abstract

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) in Latino immigrant neighborhoods has yielded conflicting findings. Some quantitative studies indicate overall rates of IPV are lower in Latino immigrant neighborhoods, while numerous qualitative studies suggest women who reside in Latino immigrant neighborhoods are at high risk of IPV victimization. Extending Osgood and Schreck’s (2007) statistical approach for examining criminal specialization to a three-level framework, we test the associations between neighborhood Latino immigrant concentration and 1) overall IPV and 2) tendencies towards female IPV victimization among resident couples. Multilevel models of data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) and the 1990 census indicate that as neighborhood-level Latino immigrant concentration increases, couples engage in less overall IPV, but IPV is increasingly likely to be directed at women when it occurs. Our study underscores the importance of empirically distinguishing between tendencies toward symmetric versus unidirectional IPV. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Authors

• Brian Soller, University of New Mexico

• Alena Kuhlemeier, University of New Mexico