Catherine L. Clark

Neighborhood poverty as a predictor of intimate partner violence among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States: a multilevel analysis

PURPOSE This study assessed the contribution of neighborhood poverty, measured at the census tract level, to the risk of male-to-female and female-to-male partner violence (MFPV, FMPV) among white, black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. METHODS As part of the 1995 National Alcohol Survey, a representative sample of married/cohabiting couples was obtained through a multistage, multicluster household probability sampling frame. The outcome variables, MFPV and FMPV, were measured through the Conflict Tactics Scale, Form R. Sociodemographic, psychosocial, and alcohol consumption covariates that were statistically significant through bivariate analysis were retained as individual-level predictors. Neighborhood poverty, indicating residence in a census tract where greater than 20% of the population lived below the Federal poverty line, was assessed by appending 1990 Census data to the primary data set. Multilevel logistic regression models were constructed, with separate analyses performed for each outcome (MFPV, FMPV) among the white, black, and Hispanic couples. RESULTS Couples residing in impoverished neighborhoods are at increased risk for both MFPV and FMPV. The association between residence in an impoverished neighborhood and MFPV was statistically significant for black couples (Odds Ratio [OR] 2.87; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.36, 6.07). The association between residence in an impoverished neighborhood and FMPV was statistically significant for black couples and white couples. CONCLUSIONS Characteristics of the socioenvironment, such as neighborhood poverty, are associated with the risk of partner violence, particularly among black couples. Policies aimed at reducing community poverty may contribute to effective partner violence prevention strategies.

Intimate Partner Violence and Drinking Patterns Among White, Black, and Hispanic Couples in the U.S.

PURPOSE Using reports from both partners, this study estimated prevalence rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) among white, black, and Hispanic couples in the U.S., and assessed the contribution of drinking patterns, psychosocial, and other sociodemographic factors to the risk of partner violence. METHODS A multistage area probability sample consisting of 555 white, 358 black, and 527 Hispanic couples in the U.S. household population was interviewed in 1995. Logistic regression analyses revealed that predictors of IPV vary by ethnicity. RESULTS Rates of male-to-female (MFPV) and female-to-male partner violence (FMPV) were highest among black couples (23% and 30%), followed by Hispanic (17% and 21%), and white couples (12% and 16%). Between 27 percent and 41 percent of the men, and 4 percent and 24 percent of the women were drinking at the time of the violent incident. IMPLICATIONS Black and Hispanic couples are at higher risk for IPV than white couples and should be targeted for prevention intervention. The interrelationships among IPV, alcohol consumption, and ethnicity are complex. These findings suggest that future attempts at modeling IPV should be ethnically sensitive and, ideally, include separate analyses of each ethnic group.

Strategic Behaviors in Romantic Relationship Initiation

Two studies were conducted to examine the strategies used to initiate romantic relationships. In Study 1, participants responded to questions about general romantic relationship initiation strategies derived from the literature. In Study 2, participants wrote narrative accounts of their romantic relationship initiation experiences, which were coded for relationship goals and initiation strategies. The effect of biological sex on the evaluation and use of relationship initiation strategies was assessed in both studies. Overall, the normative pattern of goals and strategies prominently included love and intimacy goals and direct and emotional-disclosure strategies. Men tended to be more active and direct in the beginning stages of relational development and to be more interested than women in the goal of sexual intimacy; women used passive and indirect strategies more often than men. Results are discussed in terms of Buss and Schmitt’s sexual strategies theory and Reis and Shaver’s model of interpersonal intimacy.

Trends in situational norms and attitudes toward drinking among whites, blacks, and hispanics : 1984-1995

The purpose of this study was to explore trends in situational norms and attitudes toward drinking and to assess the associations of norms and attitudes with current drinking and frequent heavy drinking patterns among whites, blacks, and hispanics between 1984 and 1995. Data were obtained from two nationwide probability samples of US households. Results indicated that there were no broad trends in situational norms and attitudes toward drinking between 1984 and 1995 among whites, blacks, and hispanics in the US. The variations in norms and attitudes detected between 1984 and 1995 were ethnic and gender-specific. For all of the groups studied, situational norms and attitudes were highly predictive of both current drinking and frequent heavy drinking patterns.

Agreement About Violence in U.S. Couples

Numerous studies have demonstrated that cohabiting and married partners often do not agree about the occurrence of intimate partner violence. This study assessed agreement about intimate partner violence in a large, representative sample of U.S. couples. Using a multistage probability sampling design, separate face-to-face interviews were conducted with both members of 1,635 respondent couples in their homes in the 48 contiguous states. Using statistics appropriate for the evaluation of agreement, the results suggest that concordance about intimate partner violence in the U.S. general population is low. Classification of one partners report as violent on the basis of the other partners report of violence yielded unacceptably high misclassification errors. Use of the proxy method for investigations of intimate partner violence is not recommended

Perceptions of family communication patterns and the enactment of family rituals

This questionnaire study of 250 university students examined the relationship between perceptions of parent‐child communication (as measured by the Revised Family Communication Patterns instrument) and family ritualization (as measured by the Family Ritual Questionnaire), for both Asian‐American and Euro‐American samples. Family commitment to ritualizing correlated positively with conversation‐orientation for both samples and correlated positively with conformity‐orientation for the Euro‐American sample. In addition, routinization in the enactment of family rituals correlated positively with conformity‐orientation for the Euro‐American sample.

The door‐in‐the‐face compliance strategy: An individual differences analysis of two models in an AIDS fundraising context

This study examined the reciprocal concessions and self‐presentation accounts of the door‐in‐the‐face (DITF) compliance strategy within a fundraising context. Subjects were classified as low or high in exchange orientation, and as low or high in approval motivation on the basis of a pretest questionnaire. As predicted on the basis of reciprocal concessions theory, a significant interaction was obtained between exchange‐orientation and message strategy. For high exchange‐oriented subjects, the DITF message strategy substantially increased compliance rates, relative to the single‐request control message. However, low exchange‐oriented subjects were actually more charitable in response to the control message. Analysis of a post‐treatment measure of obligation to the requestor revealed that obligation could account for less than half of the interaction effect, a finding which is inconsistent with concessions theory. Self‐presentation theory suggests that DITF should work best when directed toward targets who ...