Social Reactions to Intimate Partner Violence Disclosure Among Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Community Women

Friends and family members' reactions to intimate partner violence (IPV) disclosure play an important role in social support because disclosure often precedes requests for support. Perceptions of social reactions to IPV disclosure are likely to vary by context. Yet, research is limited on the role of ethnicity and severity of physical violence in perceptions of social reactions. We examined perceptions of social reactions to IPV disclosure using data from Wave 6 interviews for Project HOW: Health Outcomes of Women. Participants (N = 201) were asked proportionately how many friends and family reacted positively and negatively to IPV disclosure. MANOVAs revealed significant differences in perceptions of positive social reactions by ethnicity and severity.