Marginalized Identities and IPV
A Woman's Pain
Race
A woman’s race has a proven impact on her chances of being a victim of interpersonal violence. Research has indicated that rates on IPV are higher in the black community than their counterparts in other communities. There have also been studies that look at the dual relationship between poverty and IPV for black women. While being a black woman living in poverty leads to an increased risk of interpersonal violence, interpersonal violence has also been linked to economic hardship for black women [1]. This relationship highlights the elevated risk of black women for becoming victims of IPV as well as how the intersecting identities of race and socioeconomic status create a higher likelihood of victimization. One other notion that leads to black women suffering in silence is the fear of negative responses from police and the justice system [2]. Based on the history of the treatment of people of color under the law, this fear is rational in thought and leads to prolonged IPV exposure for black women. Not only is this population at an elevated risk for becoming victims, but they have a greater fear of involving authorities than women of other races which limits their chances of leaving.
Socioeconomic Status
Women who make lower income/ live in low-income households make up a significant proportion of IPV victims. According to the National Domestic Violence hotline, many perpetrators of violence financially abuse their victims [3]. Doing this creates financial dependence on the partner, making it harder for the victim to leave. IPV can also interfere with a woman’s ability to maintain paid employment, further hindering economic independence. Being physically abused has a severe negative health impact that can lead to many missed work days and eventual job termination. Other factors that lead to victimization based on socioeconomic status include lower educational attainment and the perpetration of traditional gender beliefs that men should be the ones making money for the family [4]. When individuals have lower educational attainment, they tend to have lower job prospects. For IPV victims, this creates another layer of dependence on their abuser.
Environment
The environment a woman lives in is also instrumental in assess IPV victimization. Neighborhood disorder, which looks at the lack of order and control in a community, is a good tool for understanding environmental factors surrounding victims. This can include things such as crime, vandalism, illicit substance use, and noise [5]. Studies have shown that individuals tend to be at an increased risk of IPV victimization when living in places that lack order and control. Furthermore, social disorganization theory supports the idea that neighborhood conditions and the state of social networks shape crime rate more significantly than individuals [6]. More simply put, the environment that a person lives in has a greater impact on the rate of crime than the type of people who live there. When looking between urban and rural areas, it has been found that rural females are more likely to become victims of IPV than their urban counterparts [7]. Another struggle for these women is that they often have less access to needed services than women who live in urban areas. This makes leaving an abusive relationship even more challenging for victims, a fact that shouldn't be overlooked.
References
1. Gillum, Tameka L. "The intersection of intimate partner violence and poverty in Black communities." Aggression and Violent Behavior 46 (2019): 40.
2. 50 Obstacles to Leaving.” Accessed October 30, 2020. https://www.thehotline.org/resources/50-obstacles-to-leaving/.
3. National Domestic Violence Hotline
4. Pickover, Alison M., Jabeene Bhimji, Shufang Sun, Anna Evans, Lucy J. Allbaugh, Sarah E. Dunn, and Nadine J. Kaslow. "Neighborhood disorder, social support, and outcomes among violence-exposed African American women." Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2018): 2.
5. Pickover, Neighborhood Disorder: 3.
6. Gillum, "The intersection of intimate partner violence and poverty in Black communities.": 39.
7. Rennison, Callie Marie, Walter S. DeKeseredy, and Molly Dragiewicz. "Intimate relationship status variations in violence against women: Urban, suburban, and rural differences." Violence Against Women 19, no. 11 (2013): 13118.