Nondisclosure of IPV Victimization among Disadvantaged Mexican American Young Adult Women

As gang activity in the United States continues to steadily increase, adolescents and young adults living in low-income neighborhoods are at disproportionate risk for violence offending and victimization. As research on youth violence has generally focused on males, scholars know much less about the females in these contexts who are particularly vulnerable to intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization given their connection with delinquent gang-involved young men. For these adolescent females, their victimization experiences are established and reinforced by the street-oriented gang environment to which they have been exposed. Further, scholars know very little about the nature, extent, and patterns of these young victims’ help-seeking behaviors. Research indicates that for Latinas, rates of disclosing victimization and underutilization of services are affected by cultural factors including gender roles, belief in preserving the family unit, shame, and patriarchal structures. Nevertheless, the extent of what scholars know about Latina victims remains limited. Using data from a fifteen-year longitudinal study of Mexican American women who were affiliated with male gang members as adolescents, the authors highlight young Latina women’s help-seeking response (social, legal, and health services) to their victimization experiences.