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Understanding the Complexity of Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence in the Lives of Hispanic Men Who Have Sex with Men: Methodological Issues and Considerations

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to highlight methodological issues and considerations which will be of use to researchers interested in further understanding the complexity of intimate partner violence in the lives of Hispanic men who have sex with men. We present a brief review of the research on intimate partner violence which highlights intersections of health and behavior risk factors (i.e., alcohol-related-intimate-partner-violence and HIV/AIDS risk) pertaining to gender, ethnicity, and sexuality in this population of males. We then present the reader with a synthesis and critique of several methodological concerns relevant to furthering research in this area including: locating participants, considerations of the impact of local cultural contexts, and impact of researcher positionality. Research recommendations for addressing intimate partner violence as a complex public health concern embedded in “hidden populations” conclude the paper.

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Notes

  1. We employ the term “MSM” to capture sexual behavior between men which can occur among individuals not identifying as “gay.”

  2. While African Americans have been studied in terms of ARIPV, similarly little research has focused on African American ARIPV among MSM. While this area is in need of attention, it is beyond the scope of the current paper.

  3. Alcohol, instead of drug use in general, is the focus of this paper given its pronounced association with violence found in the literature. Examining other forms of substance use and abuse is beyond the scope of this paper.

  4. Difficulties with the precision of “Hispanic” as a category are telling of the infancy of research on Hispanics. It is beyond the scope of this paper to address the variations within and between Hispanics of differing national or regional descent or to address the level of acculturation among Hispanics. Finally, “Hispanic” is adopted as a term in this paper as opposed to Latino as a matter of cultural preference.

  5. See Stall, Paul, Greenwood, Pollack, Bein, Crosby, Mills, Binson, Coates & Catania [44] for an example of probability sampling with MSM and Peterson and Valdez [39] for random sampling of gang-affiliated adolescents.

  6. One response to the list-serve announcement for this project aimed at gay men in the community was “should I beat my partner so I can get the money and participate in this study?” Given this response it may be the case that social science and public health researchers should consider more seriously the need to promote the importance of participation in research more generally as well.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the University of Akron, Faculty Research Grant # 1613 (“Alcohol Related Intimate Partner Violence within High-Risk Populations: Implications for Health Disparity Research”). We also thank Dr. Kathy Feltey (The University of Akron) and the anonymous reviewers at Gender Issues.

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  1. Department of Sociology, The University of Akron, Olin Hall 260, Akron, OH, 44325-1905, USA

    Robert L. Peralta & Jodi Ross

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Correspondence to Robert L. Peralta.

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Peralta, R.L., Ross, J. Understanding the Complexity of Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence in the Lives of Hispanic Men Who Have Sex with Men: Methodological Issues and Considerations. Gend. Issues 26, 85–104 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-009-9067-y

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