The Neighborhood Normative Climate and Intimate Partner Violence during Young Adulthood

• In Event: Neighborhoods and Violent Victimization

Abstract

Research and theorizing on the etiology of intimate partner violence (IPV) has primarily focused on individual-level factors. More recent work has begun to examine the role of macro-level forces. Results of that research indicate that social ties facilitate the diffusion of cultural norms—including the tolerance of deviance/violence—across neighborhoods. Research remains somewhat fixated, however, on these one-for-one associations (i.e., linking attitudes toward violence to the use of violence), neglecting to consider the role of a broader range of cultural and social norms. Yet the neighborhood normative climate likely extends beyond norms regarding the use of violence, shaping cultural understandings about dating and the opposite sex. Whether norms more directly linked to the nature and quality of romantic relationships influence the use of violence within the dyadic context remains unclear. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), the current investigation examines the multilevel association between dating norms, gender mistrust, and IPV during young adulthood. Preliminary results indicate that the neighborhood normative climate is positively associated with patterns of IPV, net of individual attitudes and beliefs. Furthermore, this effect varies across levels of neighborhood disadvantage. We discuss the implications of these findings for targeted community-based approaches to IPV intervention/prevention.

Authors

• Jennifer E. Copp, Florida State University

• Peggy Giordano, Bowling Green State University

• Monica Longmore, Bowling Green State University

• Wendy Manning, Bowling Green State University