Domestic Violence in the African American Community

By C. White on October 23, 2015

African Americans are disproportionally affected by intimate partner violence (IPV) from current or former romantic partners. In one study, African American males self-reported violent acts against their women at significantly higher rates and severity (113 per 1,000) than the rate and magnitude of violence of self-reported by White males (only 30 per 1,000). This suggests that the proportion of IPV between African American and White males are 4 to 1. Another study found that both African American males and females self-reported to being victims of IPV approximately 35% higher than other races. Regarding African American male victims, they experience IPV 62% higher than White men, which is a 2.5 times higher than women of other races. One-third of African American women become a victim of IPV at least once whereas the data is one-fourth of White women and 12% for African American men (pp. 230- 231). Researchers think that intersectionality of race, class, and culture explains the high rate of African American IPV than other races (p. 234).

Reference
Willliams, Oliver J, Oliver William and Marcus Pope. 2008, June. “Domestic Violence in the African American Community”. Journal of Aggression Maltreatment & Trauma pp.229-237. DOI:10.1080/10926770801925486