Familial Influences on Dating Violence Victimization Among Latino Youth

Abstract

Despite theoretical and empirical evidence suggesting that the family environment plays a central role in Latino youth development, relatively little is known about how family processes influence dating violence victimization among Latino adolescents. To address this gap in the literature, we used data from 210 Latino parents and their 13- to 15-year-old adolescents to examine associations between several different family processes, including both parenting practices (parent monitoring, parent–adolescent communication) and aspects of the family relational climate (family cohesion, family conflict, acculturation conflict) and psychological, physical, and sexual dating violence victimization. Consistent with expectations, lower levels of family cohesion and higher levels of family and acculturation conflict were associated with risk for dating violence victimization, although associations varied depending on victimization type. In contrast, neither parental monitoring nor parent–adolescent communication was significantly associated with any type of dating violence victimization. In addition, we found that parent, but not teen, Anglo-American acculturation was associated with higher dating violence victimization risk. Findings suggest that family-based dating abuse prevention programs for Latino youth should seek to increase family cohesion and decrease family conflict, including acculturation-based conflict.

Is All Dating Violence Equal? Gender and Severity Differences in Predictors of Perpetration

“…Prevalence rates of physical TDV specifically for Latino/a adolescents are dissimilar as well. Due to differences in sampling methods, rates for Latino/a youth range between 5% and 44% [16][17][18][19][20]. A national study on Latino youth conducted by Cuevas, Sabina, and Bell (2014) found that TDV increases with age (at around 14 years), with boys more likely to experience violence (18.35%) [16].…”

Psychological Functioning Among Latino Victims of Teen Dating Violence: The Role of Relational and Collective Resources

“…Furthermore, a study that modeled growth curves over 10 years found the referent and supportive dimensions of familism to be significantly related to lower levels of depression among Mexican-origin families (Zeiders et al, 2013). However, research specific to familism and family violence is very limited and most evidence comes from related constructs such parental monitoring, family connectedness, family cohesion, and communication with parents (East & Hokoda, 2015;Kast et al, 2016;McNaughton Reyes et al, 2016;Yan et al, 2010). Nonetheless, some studies (Alcalde, 2010;Welland & Ribner, 2008) have reported that familism may contribute to domestic violence among Latinos as the family unity is kept at the expense of the victim's own "safety or well-being" (Welland & Ribner, 2008, p. 59).…”