Relationships among Women's Use of Aggression, Their Victimization, and Substance Use Problems: A Test of the Moderating Effects of Race/Ethnicity.

This study examined whether relationships among women's aggression, their victimization, and substance use problems were moderated by race/ethnicity. Four hundred and twelve community women (150 African Americans, 150 Latinas, and 112 Whites) who recently were aggressive against a male partner completed a 2-hour computer-assisted interview. ANOVA and path analysis revealed that (a) for all women, victimization and aggression were strongly related; (b) race/ethnicity moderated the relationships between victimization and alcohol and drug use problems; and (c) no groups evidenced a relationship between alcohol or drug use problems and aggression. Findings suggest that it is essential to develop culturally relevant, gender-specific interventions to reduce both women's aggression and victimization, as well as related negative behaviors such as alcohol and drug use.