1 Family Closeness and Domestic Abuse among Caribbean and South American Women in South Florida Maria Aysa-Lastra1, Patria Rojas2, Frank R. Dillon3, Rui Duan4, and Mario de la Rosa Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse Florida International University 11200 SW 8th St. SIPA 311 Miami FL 33199 Tel: 305-348-2258; 305-348-7353 Fax: 305-348-3605; 305-348-7405 e-mail: aysam@fiu.edu Suggested running head: Family Closeness and Domestic Abuse among Latinas in South Florida Acknowledgements This study was supported by award number P20MD002288 from the National Institute for Minority and Health Disparities and awards R24DA014260 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or the National Institutes of Health. 1 Maria Aysa-Lastra, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies at the School of Public and International Affairs and Faculty Fellow at the Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse at Florida International University. 2 Patria Rojas is a Senior Behavioral Health Scientist in the School of Social Work at the Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse. 3 Frank R. Dillon, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University. He is also the Scientific Director of the Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse. 4 Rui Duan, MPH. Senior Research Analyst in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami 5 Mario de la Rosa, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University. He is also the Director of the Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse.
2 Family Closeness and Domestic Abuse among Caribbean and South American Women in South Florida Abstract This paper focuses on the importance of family member closeness as a protective factor against domestic abuse. We explore the link between long-lasting relations within the family and intra- familial violence perpetrated against women in Latino households in South Florida. Our results indicate that long-lasting family relations are protective against domestic emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Long-lasting relations with parents are only marginally more protective against domestic abuse than relations with siblings and partners. Among abused women, the effects of long-lasting relations within the family differ depending on the type of relationship between the abuser and the victim and the degree of closeness the victim feels towards other family members. Our analysis shows that long-lasting relations with fathers serve as both protective and risk factors for domestic abuse during the lifetime. Given these findings, there is a need to further study daughter/father relations in Latino households. Key words: ABUSE, INTRA-FAMILY VIOLENCE, FAMILY RELATIONS, LATINAS
3 Domestic abuse is a forceful tactic, intentionally employed by mother, father,