Abstract
Violence is a significant health issue for Latinas in the United States (US), with 54.9% reporting violent victimization. However, little is known about battering among Hispanic women in the southeast. The southeastern corridor, a rural area in search of cheap labor, is a magnet for undocumented agricultural workers. The purpose of this study was to describe domestic violence in Hispanic/Latino women in the southeastern US, including type and frequency of violence experienced, barriers to obtaining treatment, and services needed by women who have been abused. Hispanic women completed questionnaires developed from information from focus groups. Results indicate that domestic violence is a major health problem for women in the southeast, and document previous findings as well as offer new insights about Hispanic women who have experienced domestic violence. Implications are discussed in terms of the need for community partnerships and interventions, as well as routine screening and crisis intervention.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Caetano, R., Cunradi, C. B., Clark, C. L., and Shafer, J. (2000). Intimate partner violence and drinking patterns among white, black, and hispanic couples in the U.S., J. Subst. Abuse 11(2): 123-138.
Centers for Disease Control. (1990). Family and other intimate assaults: Atlanta, 1984. JAMA 264(10): 1243-1244.
Coker, A. L., Smith, P. H., Mckeown, R. E., and King, M. J. (2000). Frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type: Physical, sexual, and psychological battering. Am. J. Public Health 90(4): 553-559.
Cunradi, C. B., Caetano, R., Clark, C., and Schafer, J. (2000). Neighborhood poverty as a predictor of intimate partner violence among white, black, and Hispanic couples in the United States: A multilevel analysis. AEP 10(5): 297-308.
Davila, E. (1999). On being a “good girl”: Implications for Latinas in the United States. In Kesselman, A., McNair, L. D., and Schniedewind, N., (eds.), Women: Images and Realities, 2nd edn., Mayfield, Mountain View, CA, pp. 60-63.
Davila, Y. R., and Brackley, M. H. (1999). Mexican and Mexican American women in a battered women's shelter: Barriers to condom negotiation for HIV/AIDS prevention. Issues Mental Health Nurs. 20, 333-355.
Dimmitt, J. H. (1995). Self-concept and women abuse: A rural and cultural perspective. Issues Mental Health Nurs. 16, 567-581.
Edleson, J. L., and Tolman, R. M. (1992). Intervention for Men Who Batter: An Ecological Approach, Sage, London.
Flaskerud, J. H., and Winslow, B. J. (1998). Conceptualizing vulnerable populations health-related research. Nurs. Res. 47(2): 69-78.
Hansen, M., and Harway, M. (eds.). (1993). Battering and Family Therapy: A Feminist Perspective, Sage, London.
Jenson, L. A. (2000). The cycle of domestic violence and the barriers to treatment. Nurse Pract. 25(5): 26-29.
King, E. A., Britt, R., McFarlane, J. M., and Hawkins, C. (2000). Bacterial vaginosis and chlamydia trachomatis among pregnant abused and nonabused Hispanic women. J Obst., Gynecol. Neonatal Nurs. 29(6): 606-612.
Koss, M. P., and Heslet, L. (1992). Somatic consequences of violence against women. Arch. Fam. Med. 1, 53-59.
Mattson, S., and Rodriguez, E. (1999). Battering in pregnant Latinas. Issues Mental Health Nurs. 20, 405-422.
McFarlane, J., Parker, B., Soeken, K., Silva, C., and Reed, S. (1999). Research exchange. Severity of abuse before and during pregnancy for African American, Hispanic, and Anglo women. J. Nurse Midwifery 44(2): 139-144.
McFarlane, J., Wiist, W., and Watson, M. (1998a). Characteristics of sexual abuse against pregnant Hispanic women by their male intimates. J. Women's Health 7(6): 739-745.
McFarlane, J., Wiist, W., and Watson, M. (1998b). Predicting physical abuse against pregnant Hispanic women. Am. J. Prev. Med. 15(2): 134-138.
Muelleman, R. L., and Feighny, K. M. (1999). Effects of an emergency department-based advocacy program for battered women on community resource utilization. Ann. Emerg. Med. 33(1): 62-66.
National Women's Law Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, &; The Lewin Group. (2000, August). Making the Grade on Women's Health: A National and State-By-State Report Card, National Women's Law Center, Washington, DC.
Rittmayer, J., and Roux, G. (1999). Relinquishing the need to “fix it”: Medical intervention with domestic abuse. Qual. Health Res. 9(2): 166-181.
Rodriguez, R. (1998). Clinical interventions with battered migrant farm worker women. In Campbell, J. (ed.), Empowering Survivors of Abuse: Health Care for Battered Women and Their Children Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 271-279.
Rodriguez, M. A., Bauer, H. M., McLaoughlin, E., and Grumbach, K. (1999). Screening and intervention for intimate partner abuse: Practices and attitudes of primary care physicians. JAMA 282, 468-474.
Sampselle, C. M. (ed.). (1992). Violence Against Women, Hemisphere, New York.
Scharer, J. (1999). Hispanic/Latino health in North Carolina: Failure to communicate? Insight 18(2–3): 2-14.
Sharpes, P. W., Campbell, J., Campbell, D., Gary, F., and Webster, D. (2001). The role of alcohol use in intimate partner femicide. Am. J. Addict. 10(2): 122-135.
Torres, S. (1998). Intervening with battered Hispanic pregnant women. In Campbell, J. (ed.), Empowering Survivors of Abuse: Health Care for Battered Women and Their Children Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 259-270.
Torres, S., and Han, H. (2000). Psychological distress in non-Hispanic white and Hispanic abused women. Arch. Psychiatric Nurs. 14(1): 19-29.
Tyson, S., and Fleming, B. (1999). Conceptualizing battered women as a vulnerable population: A case study report. Nurs. Clin. North Am. 34(2): 301-312.
US Department of Justice (1998). Prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. NCJ 172837; National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice: Washington, DC.
Van-Hightower, N. R., and Gorton, J. (1998). Domestic violence among patients at two rural health care clinics: Prevalence and social correlates. Public Health Nurs. 15(5): 355-362.
Walker, L. E. (1991). Post traumatic stress disorder in women: Diagnosis and treatment of battered women syndrome. Psychotherapy 28(1): 21-29.
Warshaw, C. (1994). Domestic violence: Challenges to medical practice. In Dan, A. J. (ed.), Reframing Women's Health: Multidisciplinary Research and Practice, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 201-215.
Weber, L. (2000). Understanding Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality: A Conceptual Framework, McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA.
Wiist, W. H., and McFarlane, J. (1998). Severity of spousal and intimate partner abuse to pregnant Hispanic women. J. Health Care Poor Underserved 9(3): 248-261.
Wisner, C. L., Gilmer, T. P., Saltzman, L. E., and Zink, T. M. (1999). Intimate partner violence against women: Do victims cost health plans more? J. Fam. Pract. 48: 439-443.
Woods, S. J. (2000). Post traumatic stress disorder in abused and postabused women. Issues Mental Health Nurs. 21(3): 309-324.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Murdaugh, C., Hunt, S., Sowell, R. et al. Domestic Violence in Hispanics in the Southeastern United States: A Survey and Needs Analysis. Journal of Family Violence 19, 107–115 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOFV.0000019841.58748.51
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOFV.0000019841.58748.51