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Intimate Partner Violence within the Chinese Community in San Francisco: Problem Gambling as a Risk Factor

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Abstract

A total of 31 Chinese community members (8 males and 23 females) were recruited from three social service agencies in San Francisco (Donaldina Cameron House, Richmond Area Multi-Services, and St. Mary’s Chinese Center) to participate in a study examining the relationship between problem gambling and intimate partner violence (IPV). A survey approach was taken which assessed the participants’ demographic characteristics including age, gender, country of birth, and employment, as well as factors relating to their intimate partners, including partner’s alcohol abuse and problem gambling. Younger participants and those whose partners were problem gamblers were more likely to experience IPV. However, partner’s problem gambling was a significant predictor only at the ten-point cutoff on the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) (Lesieur and Blume, American Journal of Psychiatry, 1987) and not at the five-point cutoff. Chinese participants whose partners were problem gamblers (SOGS ≥ 10) were 27.5 times more likely to experience IPV. Findings are discussed and social work practice, policy, and research implications are highlighted.

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Notes

  1. NICOS stands for the first initials of its five founding members: Northeast Medical Services, Independent Practitioners Association (Chinese Community Health Care Association), Chinese Hospital, On Lok Senior Health Services and Self Help for the Elderly.

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Acknowledgements

This research paper was submitted to the School of Social Work at the University of California Berkeley in partial fulfillment of the degree of Master in Social Work. Thanks to Julia Hastings, Ph.D. and Julian Chow, Ph.D. who served as the faculty advisors, and thanks to Kent Woo, MSW, who served as the agency advisor.

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  1. Chinese Community Problem Gambling Project, NICOS Chinese Health Coalition, 1208 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA, 94108, USA

    Michael S. Liao

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  1. Michael S. Liao
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Correspondence to Michael S. Liao.

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Liao, M.S. Intimate Partner Violence within the Chinese Community in San Francisco: Problem Gambling as a Risk Factor. J Fam Viol 23, 671–678 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-008-9190-7

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