Agreement on Reports of Intimate Partner Violence Among White, Black, and Hispanic Couples in the United States

Abstract

This article examines agreement on reports of male to female partner violence (MFPV) and female to male partner violence (FMPV) and predictors of agreement among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. Using a probability sample, separate face-to-face interviews were conducted in respondents' homes with both members of 1,635 couples living in the 48 contiguous states. The response rate was 85%. Results indicate that concordance about intimate partner violence among couples is low, independent of ethnicity. More than half of all MFPV and FMPV events would not have been identified if identification required agreement between partners. Women seem to be more willing to identify themselves as perpetrators of violence than men are. Logistic analysis shows that cohabitation versus marriage, more years of education, and Hispanic compared to White ethnicity are associated with a lower level of agreement on MFPV. No variable in the analysis affects levels of agreement for FMPV.