Is a Race and Ethnicity More Likely to be Violent?

Domestic violence and abuse do not discriminate based on race or ethnicity. An individual of any race and ethnicity is at risk for experiencing violence and brutality. However, domestic abuse information indicates that some races experience greater instances of violence then others do, and illustrates disparities between certain aspects of intimate partner abuse among different races. Domestic abuse information indicates that African American women are more likely to experience cruelty from an intimate partner than women of any other race or ethnicity. Research has indicated that African American women experience domestic violence and abuse at much higher rates then Caucasian females. African American males are also more likely to experience physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, and economic abuse, than men of other races and ethnicities. Domestic abuse information reveals that domestic violence and abuse is responsible for the majority of deaths of African American young adult females who are under the age of thirty-five. Statistics also indicate that only a small percentage of African American women who suffer from abuse and brutality report it to the appropriate authorities. There is a disparity in the age ranges in which women suffer from violence between racial groups. In most racial groups there is a high concentration of domestic violence and abuse within a few specific age ranges. Domestic violence information illustrates that Hispanic women are less likely to experience intimate partner abuse compared to women of most other races. However, the occurrence of abuse is spread throughout a much higher portion of age ranges than in other racial groups. Domestic abuse information that has been collected through various studies suggests that the Hispanic population would benefit from access to information and education about domestic violence and spousal abuse.