Intimate partner violence among nontraditional Hispanic college students: an exploratory study

Abstract

Nontraditional and commuter students, including Hispanic minority members and immigrants, are increasing within university enrollment. Although there is a national focus on sexual harassment, the dilemmas faced by these often-older students can include intimate partner violence (IPV). Research on risk and protective factors of IPV is a building block but incomplete for understanding and responding to IPV among Hispanic nontraditional university students. This study fills the gap by examining IPV victimization among a group of Hispanic students. The findings reveal that alcohol and drug use were significant risk factors of IPV victimization and offending, while a good family relationship served as a protective factor.

Keywords:

• Alcohol use
• drug use
• Hispanic students
• intimate partner violence

Notes

1 The US Census Bureau defines “Hispanic” or “Latino” as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. Therefore, “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably in the manuscript.