TRINIDADIAN AND U.S. CITIZENS’ATTITUDES TOWARD DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO INTERVENE Does Culture Make a Difference?

In this study, Trinidadian (n = 194) and U.S. (n = 290) citizens were compared on their attitudes toward domestic violence (DV) as well as their willingness to intervene in five distinct DV contexts (when the DV involved an immediate family member, extended family member, a friend, neighbor, and a coworker). The results indicated that Trinidadians were modestly, albeit statistically significantly, more tolerant of DV compared to U.S. citizens—a finding that was accounted for primarily by age differences between the two national groups. Also, Trinidadians reported being significantly less willing to intervene in DV involving a friend, neighbor, and coworker than U.S. citizens, even after controlling for differences in sociodemographic variables. Regarding gender, women expressed significantly less tolerance for DV than men across nationality. Diverse interpretations of these findings are discussed in the context of culture.