Intimate Partner Violence Among Indigenous Youth: Cultural Connectedness, Social Support, and the Victim-Offender Overlap

Settler colonialism in the United States continues to cause severe traumas that threaten the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples, perpetuate cycles of violence, and impact the ways in which Indigenous youth and young adults engage in intimate relationships. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent among Indigenous individuals, yet little research has explored the roles that culturally specific strengths play in the protection against IPV. The present study uses data from a sample of 274 Indigenous participants ages 13–20 years old living in the United States. We seek to explore whether cultural connectedness (living on tribal lands, viewing culture as a source of strength, and traditionality in beliefs, customs, and culture) and social support protect against IPV perpetration, and to identify the prevalence of IPV and the victim-offender overlap. Results indicate that 27.81% of participants reported IPV victimization, 19.93% perpetration, and 12.19% were victim-offenders. Bivariate correlations suggest that living on tribal lands, viewing culture as a source of strength, and social support are protective against IPV victimization, whereas living on tribal lands is protective against perpetration. However, these associations are not significant in multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results suggest that IPV prevention efforts should be focused on both victimization and perpetration, and that there may be underlying interactions between cultural connectedness and social support, particularly related to living on tribal lands, that should be investigated further in relation to IPV prevention. This study emphasizes the importance of research that integrates the lived experiences of Indigenous youth, young adults, and communities.