Inter-Generational Transmission of Violence in Latino Families: The Role of Mothers in Navigating the Cycle of Abuse
Date
2023-09-26
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sociology between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics
Abstract
Latino children and youth are the fastest-growing ethnic minority in the United States. They are also unique in the sense that they experience mixed-status families in which one, or more, of their family members lack the proper authorization to live and work in the United States. Because of this mixed status, they face a distinctive form of family violence in which fear of deportation silences victims. This article explores the roles of mothers in experiencing and interrupting the inter-generational transmission of violence in Latino families in the United States. Based on interviews with eleven Latina women, the author discusses cases in which the roles of mothers either interrupt or contribute to the continuation of the inter-generational transmission of the cycle of violence. This piece explores the tensions between personal experiences with witnessing violence and the actions Latina mothers took in order to stop cycles of abuse and its outcomes for their own children. The author concludes with suggestions for future research that centers on the experiences of Latinos in order to reduce inter-generational trauma and transmission of violence in Latino communities.
Description
This article was originally published in Sociology between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics. The version of record is available at: https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/sbg/vol8/iss1/12
Keywords
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Latino families, inter-generational transmission of violence, breaking the cycle of abuse
Citation
Quiroga, Zarah Zurita (2023) "Inter-Generational Transmission of Violence in Latino Families: The Role of Mothers in Navigating the Cycle of Abuse," Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics: Vol. 8. Available at: https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/sbg/vol8/iss1/12