Objective To examine racial discrimination and its relation to violence involvement among a sample of urban African American men. Methods Participants of this cross-sectional study were African American men (N = 703) between the ages of 18 and 65 years, recruited from four urban community health centers and two hospital-based clinics
within an urban center in the Northeast. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the relation of reported
racial discrimination to recent perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), street violence involvement, and gang involvement.
Racial discrimination was measured via 7 items assessing everyday and lifetime experiences of racial discrimination. Results In logistic regression models adjusted for age and homelessness, men reporting high levels of discrimination (scores above
the sample median) were significantly more likely to report IPV perpetration (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.9; 95% Confidence
Interval (CI): 1.2–2.9) and street violence involvement (AOR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1–2.2) as compared to men reporting lower levels
of discrimination. No relation was found between experiencing discrimination and gang involvement. Conclusions Findings showcase the potential relevance of racial discrimination to efforts focused on reducing racial disparities related
to violence.
Keywords Racial discrimination - Neighborhood violence - Intimate partner violence - African American Men
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.