Perceived neighborhood social disorder and attitudes toward domestic violence against women among Latin-American immigrants

Enrique Gracia

Description

Abstract
In the present study we explore the relationship between perceived neighbourhood social disorder (perceived crime and insecurity in residential areas) and attitudes toward domestic violence against women in Latin-American population in Spain (N =350). Perceived severity of incidents of domestic violence, its acceptability, victim-blaming attitudes and knowing victims of domestic violence are analyzed among immigrant population. Results show that the perception of neighbourhood social disorder is associated with a lower perceived severity of incidents of domestic violence, with greater acceptability of violence, and higher degree of victim-blaming. Also, those residents of disorder neighbourhoods also know more victims of domestic violence. These results suggest the social characteristics in residential areas, such as disorder and deprivation, configure an impoverished social context that might favour attitudes that condone domestic violence against women.
Resumen
El presente estudio tiene como objetivo explorar la relación entre la percepción de desorden social en el vecindario (percepción de crimen e inseguridad en el área residencial) y las actitudes hacia la violencia doméstica contra la mujer en la población de inmigrantes Latinoamericanos residentes en España (N =350). En este estudio se analizan la gravedad percibida de los incidentes de violencia doméstica, la aceptabilidad de la violencia contra la mujer, la culpabilización de las víctimas y el conocimiento de mujeres víctimas de violencia doméstica entre la población inmigrante. Los resultados indican que la percepción de desorden social en el vecindario está asociada a una menor percepción de gravedad de los incidentes de violencia, a una mayor aceptabilidad de la violencia y culpabilización de las víctimas y un mayor conocimiento de víctimas. Estos resultados sugieren que características de las áreas residenciales como el desorden y la deprivación constituyen un entorno social empobrecido que puede favorecer actitudes que condonen la violencia doméstica contra la mujer.

Sujets

• Attitudes (Lorie)
• Social Disorder
• Immigration
• Neighbourhood
• Inmigración
• Vecindario

Informations

• Publié par: erevistas
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 37

Extrait

ISSN: 1889-1861 The European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context, 2009, 1(1): 25-43




THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL
OF
PSYCHOLOGY APPLIED
TO
LEGAL CONTEXT








Volume 1, Number 1, January 2009










The official Journal of the
SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE PSICOLOGÍA JURÍDICA Y FORENSE
_____________________________________________________Website: http://www.usc.es/sepjf _________________
Correspondence: Enrique Gracia. Departamento de Psicología Social. Facultad de Psicología.
Universidad de Valencia. Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia (Spain). E-mail:
[e-mail]


Editor

Ramón Arce, University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

Associate Editors

Gualberto Buela-Casal, University of Granada (Spain).
Francisca Fariña, University of Vigo (Spain).

Editorial Board

Rui Abrunhosa, University of O Miño (Portugal).
Ray Bull, University of Leicester (UK).
Thomas Bliessener, University of Kiel (Germany).
Ángel Egido, University of Angers (France).
Antonio Godino, University of Lecce (Italy).
Günther Köhnken, University of Kiel (Gemany).
Friedrich Lösell, University of Cambridge (UK).
María Ángeles Luengo, University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).
Eduardo Osuna, University of Murcia (Spain).
Ronald Roesch, Simon Fraser University (Canada).
Francisco Santolaya, President of the General Council of the Official Colleges of
Psychologists (Spain).
Juan Carlos Sierra, University of Granada (Spain).
Jorge Sobral, University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).
Francisco Tortosa, University of Valencia (Spain).




Official Journal of the Sociedad Española de Psicología Jurídica y Forense
(www.usc.es/sepjf)
Published By: SEPJF.
Volume 1, Number, 1.
Order Form: see www.usc.es/sepjf
Frequency: 2 issues per year.
ISSN: 1889-1861.
D.L.: C-4376-2008
The European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context, 2009, 1(1): 25-43

PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL DISORDER AND
ATTITUDES TOWARD DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST
WOMEN AMONG LATIN-AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS

Enrique Gracia, Juan Herrero*, Marisol Lila, & Asur Fuente*
University of Valencia, * University of Oviedo (Spain)

(Received: 1 February 2008; revised 20 May 2008; accepted 6 June 2008)

Abstract Resumen

In the present study we explore the El presente estudio tiene como objetivo
relationship between perceived neighbourhood explorar la relación entre la percepción de
social disorder (perceived crime and insecurity desorden social en el vecindario (percepción de
in residential areas) and attitudes toward crimen e inseguridad en el área residencial) y
domestic violence against women in Latin- las actitudes hacia la violencia doméstica contra
American population in Spain (N =350). la mujer en la población de inmigrantes
Perceived severity of incidents of domestic Latinoamericanos residentes en España (N
violence, its acceptability, victim-blaming =350). En este estudio se analizan la gravedad
attitudes and knowing victims of domestic percibida de los incidentes de violencia
violence are analyzed among immigrant doméstica, la aceptabilidad de la violencia
population. Results show that the perception of contra la mujer, la culpabilización de las
neighbourhood social disorder is associated víctimas y el conocimiento de mujeres víctimas
with a lower perceived severity of incidents of de violencia doméstica entre la población
domestic violence, with greater acceptability of inmigrante. Los resultados indican que la
violence, and higher degree of victim-blaming. percepción de desorden social en el vecindario
Also, those residents of disorder está asociada a una menor percepción de
neighbourhoods also know more victims of gravedad de los incidentes de violencia, a una
domestic violence. These results suggest the mayor aceptabilidad de la violencia y
social characteristics in residential areas, such culpabilización de las víctimas y un mayor
as disorder and deprivation, configure an conocimiento de víctimas. Estos resultados
impoverished social context that might favour sugieren que características de las áreas
attitudes that condone domestic violence residenciales como el desorden y la deprivación
against women. constituyen un entorno social empobrecido que
puede favorecer actitudes que condonen la
Keywords: attitudes, social disorder, violencia doméstica contra la mujer.
immigration, neighbourhood, domestic violence
against women. Palabras clave: actitudes, desorden social,
inmigración, vecindario, violencia doméstica
contra la mujer.



______________________________________________________________________
Correspondence: Enrique Gracia. Departamento de Psicología Social. Facultad de Psicología.
Universidad de Valencia. Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia (Spain). E-mail:
[e-mail]

26 Gracia et al.

Introduction
A long tradition in social sciences research has aimed to understand the link
between deprivation in communities and neighborhoods and rates of violence and
crime. This research tradition that emphasizes the macrosocial or community level of
explanation has also gain great appeal for those scholars who aim to analyze the
phenomenon of domestic violence beyond the individual and situational levels of
explanation (Short, 1985; Sampson & Lauritsen, 1994; Lauritsen & Schaum, 2004).
However, although the relationship between rates of violence and different
characteristics of communities and neighborhoods such as social impoverishment,
poverty, or demographic composition, is well established, the way in which these
neighborhood characteristics influence rates of violence still remains a matter open to
debate and further research (Sampson, Raudenbush, & Earls, 1997; Korbin, 2003;
Coulton, Crampton, Irwin, Spilsbury, & Korbin, 2007).
In this paper we analyze the relationship between perceived social disorder in
the neighborhood and attitudes toward partner violence against women among its
residents. A sizeable body of research has illustrated the relationship between rates of
domestic violence and different neighborhood characteristics, such as deprivation,
social disorder, or social impoverishment. This relationship has been observed for
different types of domestic violence such as child maltreatment (Coulton, Korbin, & Su,
1999; Garbarino & Sherman, 1980; Gracia & Musitu, 2003; see Coulton et al., 2007, for
a review), or intimate partner violence (Benson, Greer, Demaris, & Van Wyk, 2003;
Browning, 2002; Cunradi, Caetano, Clark, & Schafer, 2000; O'Campo, Gielen, Faden,
Xue, Kass, & Wang 1995). For example, in child maltreatment research, in addition to
the observed link between various aspects of neighborhoods and greater rates of
reported child maltreatment, a number of studies have shown that residents from
27 Violence against women

neighborhoods that vary in perceptions of neighborhood disorder have different views
on issues such as the etiology, the definition, the severity of incidents, and what to do
about it (Gracia & Herrero, 2006; Korbin, 2003; see Coulton et al., 2007, for a review).
In intimate partner violence research, however, except for few exceptions (Herrero &
Gracia, 2005; Gracia & Herrero, 2007), the analysis of the potential influence of
neighborhood characteristics on residents‟ attitudes toward partner violence against
women has received little attention.
A basic idea that motivates this study is that deprivation and disorder in
residential areas contribute to create a climate of tolerance and acceptability of partner
violence against women, which in turn may contribute to its greater incidence in these
communities. In terms of Sampson & Lauritsen (1994) these community contexts “seem
to shape what can be termed cognitive landscapes or ecologically structured norms
(normative ecologies) regarding appropriate standards and expectations of conduct” (p.
63). For Sampson & Lauritsen (1994), structurally disorganized communities are
conducive to the emergence of subcultural value systems and attitudes that seem to
legitimate, or at least provide a basis of tolerance for, crime and violence. Drawing from
ethnographic research, Sampson & Lauritsen emphasize the idea that dominant values
become irrelevant in certain community contexts. In a context in which violence and
crime is part of everyday life, and where it tends not to be condemned but, rather,
tolerated, the probability of violent incidents will probably increase (Anderson, 1978;
Horowitz, 1987).
Diminished social control has been also considered as a relevant factor
responsible for the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and violence.
Social control refers generally to the capaci