Pathways Linking Microaggression to Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Palestinians in Israel: The Role of Threat, Psychological Distress, and Gender

Purpose: Marital relationships and other family processes do not take place independently of sociopolitical factors. Ethnicity-related stress, including racism, discrimination, and microaggressions are known as sociopolitical stressors with adverse effects on ethnic minorities. This study aimed to (a) examine the association between ethnonational microaggression experiences and the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) among Palestinian men and women in Israel; (b) test the mediating role of threat appraisal and psychological distress in this association in simple and serial mediation models; and (c) test the moderating role of gender in these relationships. Methods: A total of 770 Palestinian participants (500 women and 270 men) aged 21–66 were recruited from different areas of Israel and completed self-report questionnaires. Moderated mediation analyses were performed through path analysis. Results: Findings show that IPV perpetration is predicted by greater microaggression experiences, with no significant gender differences. This relationship is mediated by psychological distress and serially mediated by threat appraisal and psychological distress. Results also indicated that men perceived greater threats of microaggression than women. Additionally, in the men’s mediation model, the indirect effect of microaggression on IPV was found to be stronger than in the women’s model, showing that men experiencing microaggression were at a higher risk of distress and, in turn, of IPV perpetration. Conclusions: These findings provide an understanding of the mechanisms underlying the IPV perpetration among Palestinian men and women in Israel who have experienced microaggression. The findings are also relevant for developing educational and clinical programs for the prevention and intervention of IPV.