Status Discrepancies and Provider Roles in Psychologically and Physically Abusive Black Couple Relationships

Abstract

Intimate partner violence in African American couple relationships poses serious risks to the physical and psychological well being of Black women. The proposed research has three objectives: 1) to explore the relationship between both the male partner's and female partner's income, educational achievement, and occupational status and male-to-female physical and psychological abuse in African American couples, 2) to examine the role of income, occupational, and educational discrepancies between these partners in the incidence of male-to-female physical and psychological abuse, and 3) to examine the role of the male partner's attitude towards the provider role and incidence of said abuse. The findings suggest that increased female income is associated with decreased male physical violence and that the man's attitude towards the provider role moderates the relationship between the woman's occupation and physical and psychological abuse.