1. Racial Disparity in Domestic Violence Offenders Treatment Recidivism
Brittany Pernell
Amie Zarling, PhD
Meg Berta, Graduate Student
Department of Human Development and Family Studies

2. Outline
Background
Question
Methods
Results
Implications

3. Incarceration Background
Incarceration rates
Black men 6.5 times more likely than White men
Black men who drop out of high school 32.4% chance of incarceration
Recidivism

4. Intimate Partner Violence Background
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Over 10 million women a year
Mental and physical health problems

5. Iowa Domestic Assault Program Background
Duluth
Feminist theory, power over women, confrontational
Achieving Change Through Value-Based Behavior (ACTV)
Mindfulness, healthy relationships, accepting emotions

6. Is there a disparity in recidivism?
Question
Is there a disparity in recidivism?

7. Hypothesis
We hypothesize African Americans will recidivate at a higher rate than their White counterparts
We also hypothesize that the sample will have low education and high unemployment

8. Methods Study procedures Iowa Corrections Offenders Network database
Iowa Domestic Assault Program
ACTV and Duluth
January 2011 – December 2013
Sample size: 3,393 men
Criminal charges after one year out of program

9. Results Descriptive Demographic Statistics
Mean (SD) %
Age
34 (10.31)
Race
Black
27%
White
73%
Marital Status
Single
60%
Married
23%
Divorced
14%
Separated 3%
Widowed
<0%
Descriptive Demographic Statistics %
Employment
Full
52%
Part
12%
Unable 6%
Unemployed
30%
Education
College+ 3%
Some College 4%
High School
68%
<High School
25%
In 2015, Iowa was 3.5% African American according to the US Census; 91.8% White
Iowa Census shows African American population in Iowa was at 2.9% in 2010.

10. Results
There was a disparity between black and white men and their recidivism rates
One tailed t-test
t(-2.29, df = 3005), p=0.01

11. Implications/Future Studies
Understanding where these disparities stem from
Discrimination may play an intricate part in disparity
What can help breakdown the divide
Cultural competency
Implicit bias

12. Strengths and Limitations
Cannot look into potential causes
Looking at reoffending, but interested in frequency of violence
Strengths
Large sample size
Includes men all across Iowa

13. Acknowledgements Dr. Amie Zarling Meg Berta
Iowa Department of Corrections
Human Development and Family Studies Department
Iowa State McNair Program

14. Questions?