摘要：Objectives. We examined associations between premigration political violence exposure and past-year intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among immigrant men attending community health centers in Boston. Methods. A convenience sample of immigrant men (N = 379; aged 18–35 years), largely from the Caribbean and Cape Verde, who attend community health centers, completed an anonymous, cross-sectional survey on risk and protective factors for male-perpetrated IPV and respondents’ exposure to political violence. Results. One in 5 (20.1%) immigrant men reported that they were exposed to political violence before arrival in the United States. Men reporting political violence exposure were significantly more likely to report IPV perpetration than were men not reporting such exposure (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41, 5.74). Significant associations with political violence exposure were observed for both physical (AOR = 2.69; 95% CI = 1.11, 6.54) and sexual (AOR = 2.37; 95% CI = 1.04, 5.44) IPV perpetration. Conclusions. To our knowledge, our findings document for the first time the significant association between premigration political violence exposure and recent IPV perpetration among immigrant men. Additional work is needed to examine underlying mechanisms to inform culturally appropriate programs. According to the 2005 US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, over 12.4% of the US population is foreign born, 1 a 16.3% increase from the year 2000. 1 As a result, the public health literature increasingly reflects the importance of understanding factors unique to the immigrant experience (e.g., English-speaking ability, acculturation, and exposures in the country of origin) and their impact on health status and behaviors postmigration. 2 – 6 One such critical public health issue is intimate partner violence (IPV). Although population-based, epidemiological research suggests that immigrant women report IPV victimization at significantly lower rates than their US-born counterparts, 7 , 8 smaller, community-based investigations have consistently documented high partner victimization rates (40%–48%) among immigrant women. 9 – 11 Additionally, regional homicide data from New York City show that immigrant women are overrepresented as victims of intimate partner–related murders. 12 Along with findings from one perpetration study in which foreign-born men in Massachusetts were overrepresented in court-mandated batterer intervention programs, 13 these data underscore the need to better understand the rarely studied issue of IPV perpetration among immigrant men. One key experience faced by immigrant men that may add to our understanding of IPV in such communities is exposure to political violence (e.g., state-perpetrated armed conflict, repression, genocide, torture, forced disappearance of family members, and massacre) 14 , 15 in their place of origin. Although most immigrants enter the United States for economic reasons, research has demonstrated that, like refugee populations, nonrefugee immigrants experience premigration political violence, with exposure ranging from 11% to 69%. 16 – 18 It has been hypothesized that IPV may occur more frequently in communities whose members have been affected by political violence. 15 To date, such an association remains anecdotal, 15 although high rates of women's IPV victimization and other forms of violence against women (e.g., nonpartner rape and sexual assault) have been well documented in diverse samples of conflict-ridden settings. 19 – 23 Furthermore, several theories posit that contributors to IPV perpetration within such contexts include viewing violence as a normative method for addressing conflict because of exposure to widespread violence, heightened economic stress, and the mental health sequelae of traumatic exposure. 15 , 24 , 25 Unfortunately, despite these theories and the documented high rates of political violence exposure among immigrant groups, no empirical work has explored how premigration political violence exposure affects the perpetration of intimate partner violence. Studies indicating an increased prevalence of IPV perpetration among men exposed to other forms of violence (e.g., child abuse, 26 witnessing parental violence, 27 and community or neighborhood violence 28 , 29 ) further support the importance of investigating the impact of political violence experiences on partner violence perpetration. Thus, to assess relations of premigration political violence exposure with male-perpetrated violence toward their intimate partners, we surveyed a sample of immigrant men attending community health centers (CHCs).
