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Hispanics are frequently categorized under one homogeneous group in existing intimate partner violence research, presenting a challenge for practitioners and researchers interested in assessing potentially unique public health concerns of each subgroup. Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examined the family- and community-related determinants of intimate partner violence experienced by mothers of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. The respondents' self-reported physical violence and power control are two key measures of IPV. Our study found statistical differences between the Mexican and Puerto Rican origin respondents' experiences with IPV. Specifically, father infidelity and parenting concordance functioned as risk and protective factors, respectively, for the Mexican origin mothers' experiences of relational violence. In the case of the Puerto Rican origin respondents, higher level of spousal support, collective efficacy, and social disorganization were linked to less violence, while increased emotional distance and higher level of baseline education were associated with more violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing data collected from 17 Hispanic exconvicts, this study examined the challenges of postincarceration reintegration from the perspective of general strain theory. Our use of intensive interviewing techniques allowed the participants to describe their cognitive function, stress, coping mechanisms, and perceptions of discrimination, and how these issues contributed to their well-being and potential recidivism. Participants were recruited from a federal halfway house in Southwestern Texas. Overall, we found that the exconvict participants in this study carried the burden of their criminal history heavily and endured public penalties and economic consequences associated with their incarceration. Practice implications and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This research brings together insights from the fields of sociology and social work, providing an integrated study of marriage as a cultural and structural institution. The goals of the study are twofold: first, to empirically assess the predictive power of cultural versus structural elements of marital aspirations and attitudes among “fragile families”; second, to determine if the aforementioned relationship and outcomes differ by immigrant status. The results offer more support for the role of structure than the function of culture, suggesting that rather than demonizing disadvantaged families for having “defective” cultural values, policy planners and human service providers should recognize the importance of educational attainment and economic productivity in fragile families. Even populations most disposed to hold more “traditional” views of marriage and family life are constrained by the realities of structural disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]