Latina women endure numerous forms of interpersonal violence. While help-seeking efforts have been explored, variations in help-seeking efforts for women differing in ethnic background have yet to be analyzed. This comparative study uses an available data set to investigate help-seeking efforts for a nationally representative sample of 2,000 Latina women reporting abuse. For a subset of women with Cuban and Mexican ties, the results elucidate the differences in the types of abuse and help-seeking behavior. Overall, the results indicate that Mexican ethnicity is associated with a higher risk of victimization compared to Cuban ethnicity. However, logistic regression models showed neither Mexican nor Cuban identification to be significantly related to any form of help-seeking after controlling for other variables. Predictive factors, such as exposure to the United States (i.e., generational status), language preference, household income, and education, were assessed to explain group differences in help-seeking. Language preference was associated with increased odds of seeking formal help, while household income increased the odds of seeking informal help. Thus, the findings have implications for policy and formal institutions centered on reducing violence against women and improving the awareness and availability of formal and informal resources.
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