Poor Indian women in Oklahoma are twice as likely to be victims of domestic violence than the average American woman, according to a study published in a British medical journal.

Researchers surveyed 312 Indian women representing 29 tribes. Three-quarters lived at or below the poverty level and 30 percent lived in "severe" poverty, the study found.

Of the women, 39 percent said they were the victims of violence, confirming previously-reported statistics which show Indian women are the victims of domestic violence at rates higher than all racial and ethnic groups.

The study also confirmed that most Indian women are victimized by non-Indians. Nearly 60 percent of the women said they had a partner of another race.

Get the Story:
Researcher links domestic violence to poverty (The Native American Times 5/25)
Women at risk for abuse (The Daily Oklahoman 5/26)
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Study Abstract:
Socioeconomic disparities in intimate partner violence against Native American women: a cross-sectional study (BMC May 2004)

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