Latina Immigrants, Interpersonal Violence, and the Decision to Report to Police

Interpersonal violence (IPV) occurs across all ethnic and racial groups and affects women of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Battered women of Latin American descent are less likely to seek help from either formal or informal sources and these women are more likely to stay longer in an abusive relationship before seeking help. To contribute to the growing body of literature on IPV, this research will examine particular situational and individual-specific characteristics of IPV incidents experienced by Latina immigrant women living in a metropolitan area in the Southern United States. Based on a sample of 568 immigrant Latina women collected over a 6-year period, this research explains whether particular situational and individual-specific characteristics of IPV incidents affect the decisions of Latina victims to report to the police.