Chris Brown’s February 8th assault of his girlfriend, Rihanna, has put the problem of intimate partner violence in the media spotlight (Chris Brown
photo credit: O.M.Gee!). From Oprah Winfrey to Larry King to numerous entertainment and news websites, talk show hosts, commentators, bloggers and others have examined the incident from multiple angles, spinning off questions about abusive relationships more generally. One of the most frequently raised issues is the social class of the couple. As a writer for CNN recently noted:
Both singers are young, apple-cheeked, immensely talented and squeaky clean – the last couple you’d imagine as domestic violence headliners. Perhaps the only good that will come from the Rihanna/Brown publicity is destruction of our culture’s misconception that abusers and their victims can only be universally poor, uneducated and powerless.
Certainly this is an important lesson to be learned and one that domestic violence advocates have been emphasizing for more than 30 years: Intimate partner violence affects individuals in all social classes and racial/ethnic groups; no one is protected by virtue of their class or race privilege. That said, one of the most consistent findings from research is a strong inverse relationship between social class and intimate partner violence: As social class goes up, rates of intimate partner violence go down. Analyses of large, national surveys, for example, show that women living in households with the lowest annual incomes were five times more likely to have experienced intimate partner violence than women in households in the highest income category, and three times more likely than women in the middle income category (Rihanna
photo credit: Trangdepp).
Poor women, of course, are not a homogeneous group. For instance, some poor women are homeless or living in temporary shelters, while others are housed. Some are employed, even if only in low-paying jobs without benefits, while others are unemployed or receive public assistance. Although poor women overall are at greater risk of intimate partner violence victimization, studies show that the poorest of the poor have the highest rates. Consider, for example, that nationally representative surveys of the general U.S. population estimate that about 25% of women are victimized by an intimate partner at some time during their lives. That is an unacceptably high number, but appears slight when comparing it to studies of women on welfare, which report a range of 28% to 63% lifetime victimization rates; the majority of estimates from these studies are 40% to 60% (Richard Tolman, “Guest Editor’s Introduction,” Violence Against Women, 5[1999]:355-369).
Research also indicates that poor women have higher lifetime rates of all forms of violent victimization. In a Massachusetts study, for instance, researchers found that among their sample of 216 housed, low-income, single mothers and 220 homeless single mothers in which the average age was 27, only 16% had not been physically or sexually abused in their relatively short lifetimes. Nearly 33% reported severe physical violence by a current or former boyfriend, 60% reported physical violence perpetrated by a male partner during adulthood, 63% reported severe physical violence by a parent or caregiver during childhood, and over 40% reported that they had been sexually molested during childhood. As the authors of this research point out, the majority of the women in this study had experienced only brief periods of safety during their lives (Angela Browne, Amy Salomon, & Shari S. Bassuk, “The Impact of Recent Partner Violence on Poor Women’s Capacity to Maintain Work,” Violence Against Women, 5[1999]:393-426).
One issue that has not been mentioned in the Rihanna/Brown case is the fact that the couple is black. Since the early 1980s, large national surveys have shown that black women are at greater risk of being violently victimized by their intimate partners than white women are. Some researchers have argued that the higher rate of intimate violence among black couples is the result of culturally specific factors that include beliefs about marriage and fidelity along with negative stereotypes of black women. But in studies that have examined both race and social class, differences in rates of intimate partner violence between black and white couples are significantly reduced or disappear completely when social class is controlled. The higher rate of intimate partner violence victimization – and, indeed, all types of violent victimization – among black women, then, is another outcome of racism: the result of the disproportionate number of black people who live in poverty. In her recent research on gendered violence in the lives of urban black girls, the vast majority of which is perpetrated by peers and acquaintances, criminologist Jody Miller informs readers:
This book should not be read as an indictment of young Black men and their treatment of their female peers. . . . [W]e, as a society, have created the circumstances that lead to cultural adaptations to situational contexts that shape urban African American young women’s risks. The indictment is of all of us. (Getting Played, New York: New York University Press, 2008, p. xvii)
Thus, while the attention given to intimate partner violence because of the Rihanna/Brown case is important and welcome, the emphasis being placed on the couple’s social status and how intimate partner violence happens even among wealthy couples should not allow us to overlook the fact that the greatest burden of this violence falls on poor women. And, as a direct result of racism, women of color are disproportionately poor and have the fewest resources available to them to cope with this problem.
This post make me think of many things. But to be short, those who work on the front lines in so many ways are so incredibly important to remember also. Please allow me to put up a reminder to the folks in my home area of a person whom our State shall never, ever forget. One of his clients was shot and killed by her soon to be ex-husband in front of the King County Court House—she was first generation, just to name only one incident…. Former, part-time King County and Snohomish County Judge, very proud Dead Head, one of the top 5 attorney’s in WA State for a time, influenced many laws on behalf of women and the poor—good god, so much more. No words to express. With the highest respect and appreciation, (many laugh’s too)–I want to share a link to remember our David! (And thank you for addressing the issues here at Racismreview):
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20050306/NEWS01/503060737
To this perceptive take on the Rihanna-Chris Brown event, it’s also important to note that often the worst consequences of intimate partner violence aren’t the ones that leave the most visible physical scars. The phenomenon of “coercive control,” theorized by Dr. Evan Stark, may be more significant. I discuss this point further at my blog. (Specific page is: http://blogs.law.widener.edu/culhane/category/domestic-violence/).
I think that seeing intimate partner violence by celebrities may be a wake up call for people, because they are real people too. Intimate Partner Violence is a huge part of many lives and unfortunately can lead to some severe cases. Women experience about 4.8 million
intimate partner related physical assaults and rapes, while Men are the victims of about 2.9 million intimate partner related physical assaults. It’s important to know that intimate partner violence can be physical but also emotional as well. I feel like many people are afraid to come out and talk about being abused by their partner because they’re embarrassed or ashamed, but I these days it’s so common that it should be okay to talk about. There are so many organizations that allow people to come together and discuss their problems and especially for women there are tons of ways for them to talk about their issues and find resources and ways to get away from the problems they are facing and know that it isn’t okay. The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE is a great way for people to get the help they need. If people become more aware of this problem, hopefully the word will spread and intimate partner violence will decrease.