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Violence among married couples differs according to ethnicity

On Behalf of | Sep 10, 2020 | Criminal Defense

A recent study showed that Black and Hispanic couples in Illinois and other parts of the country are more likely to become victims of domestic violence than white couples. This fact holds for both male violence against females as well as female violence against males.

The study on domestic violence took place at the Public School of Health at the University of Texas-Houston. The five-year study followed 1,025 couples. Slightly more than 400 of these couples were white. About 400 were Hispanic, and approximately 230 were Black.

The rates that white couples reported either female-on-male or male-on-female partner violence were 10% and 8%, respectively. These numbers were 22% and 20% for Black couples. The numbers were 20% and 21% for the Hispanic couples in the study.

Department of Justice arrest statistics tells a similar story. The 1994 rate of white victims of domestic violence acknowledged by the department was 15.6 for every 1,000 adult members of the population. This same number was 20.3 for Black adults and 18.8 for Hispanic adults. There was a significant change in these numbers by 2010 as 7.8 Black, 6.2 white and 4.1 Hispanic adults per 1,000 people were victims of domestic assault.

Some domestic violence advocates do not believe these arrest numbers are indicative of a corresponding drop in domestic violence incidents. They note that the number of reported domestic violence incidents declined once laws made it mandatory for police to take at least one of the involved parties to jail. Advocates say that Hispanic individuals not possessing documentation may also avoid calls to the police due to fears of immigration problems.

An accusation of domestic violence is a serious criminal allegation that can affect both men and women. An experienced criminal law attorney may help ensure that an individual accused of domestic violence receives proper representation in court.

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