The diverse faces of violence: minority women and domestic abuse

In research and clinical practice, the failure to detect and/or elicit information about domestic abuse is exacerbated by social, economic, and cultural factors. Because domestic violence cannot be separated from the cultural and social context in which it occurs, such factors must be integrated into research studies and the development of interventions. The National Institutes of Health's expanded guidelines on the inclusion in its clinical trials of women from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, along with an increased recognition of the importance of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors in health and disease, has strengthened efforts to improve understanding of domestic violence in diverse communities. The involvement of researchers from minority communities is crucial to the success of such efforts. Study of the relationships among race, ethnicity, culture, and domestic violence must be fully incorporated into medical school curricula to sensitize students and enable them to develop the skills needed to detect more effectively deal with, and ultimately prevent, family and intimate violence.