Despite making up the largest ethnic minority in the U.S. (U.S. Census, 2024), Latino couples are greatly underrepresented in national studies of IPV (Sumter, 2006) and in relationship research in general. This study examined pathways to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization, starting with neuroticism and continuing onto couple conflict and relational aggression, using an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) among a sample of 546 heterosexual Latino couples. Results revealed that neuroticism had both significant actor and partner effects with couple conflict for men and women, and that conflict was significantly associated with their own relational aggression. Relational aggression for men was significantly associated with their own IPV perpetration and victimization and her IPV victimization, whereas relational aggression for women was significantly associated with both their own and his IPV perpetration and victimization. Other gender differences included rates of prevalence in neuroticism and perceptions of conflict, relational aggression, and IPV victimization. Cultural considerations and implications are discussed.
