Interactive Effects of Intersectional Minority Stress and Adaptive Coping on Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration in Cisgender Sexual and Racial Minoritized Adults: An I3 Model Analysis.

Abstract

Objective: Guided by the I³ Model, the present study examined the independent and interactive effects of intersectional distal and proximal minority stress (disinhibiting factors) and adaptive coping (inhibiting factor) on physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in sexual and racial minoritized (SRM) adults.

Method: Participants were 349 cisgender individuals (57% assigned female at birth) who identified with both a sexual and racial minoritized identity. They were recruited through an online panel service to complete a survey that assessed multiple SRM stressors, adaptive coping, and physical IPV perpetration.

Results: A measurement model which included latent factors of intersectional distal and proximal minority stress and adaptive coping exhibited excellent fit. Hurdle negative binomial regression models indicated that (a) distal intersectional minority stress increased the odds of perpetrating physical IPV (OR = 2.48), (b) frequency of physical IPV perpetration was positively associated with both distal (IRR = 1.32) and proximal (IRR = 1.54) intersectional minority stress, and (c) the positive association between distal intersectional minority stress and frequency of physical IPV perpetration was significantly reduced at higher levels of adaptive coping.

Conclusions: Based on a large sample of SRM adults, findings tentatively indicate that (1) distal and proximal intersectional minority stress increase risk for physical IPV, and (2) adaptive coping mitigates this risk for distal, but not proximal, intersectional minority stressors. Results provide preliminary evidence for integrating adaptive coping into culturally-informed interventions designed to reduce negative health sequelae associated with intersectional minority stress, and IPV perpetration specifically, among SRM adults.