P-15 Exploring religiosity and domestic violence beliefs of Hispanic, Adventist women in the Lake Union Conference

Buller Hallway

In the domestic violence (DV) literature, few studies have explored perceptions of domestic violence among Hispanic or religious groups. Therefore, there is little empirical evidence to inform prevention and intervention programs targeted for these groups. The current study worked with Hispanic, Adventist women in order to begin understanding how these “cultures” intersect and impact their beliefs about which acts constitute domestic violence and their perceived acceptability of secular and church related resources for DV victims. Attendance at Adventist Youth Society, small groups, and church socials were positively related to endorsing broader definitions of what constitutes domestic violence in this sample. Attendance at local women’s ministry meetings was positively correlated with perceptions of acceptability of church related helping resources, whereas attendance at biennial Lake Union Conference women’s retreats was positively correlated with greater acceptability of secular helping resources for victims. Implications of these results and their potential usefulness in church-based programs will be discussed.