Domestic Violence in the African American Community

Abstract

This article discusses intimate partner violence (IPV) as a major public health issue for women, in particular, African American women. The intersection of IPV and institutional racism doubly victimizes African American women as they try to break out of the cycle of violence. The research shows that IPV in the African American community is more common and violent than in the Caucasian community due to structural, culturalcommunity, and situational contexts, overshadowed by institutional racism, that effect the romantic relationships of African American men and women. Research shows that the anger, hatred, and frustrations of African American men, caused by institutional racism, are being displaced onto their wives and lovers. Suggestions for intervention are presented.

Racial Discrimination: A Continuum of Violence Exposure for Children of Color

“…Exposure to racial discrimination is also a risk factor for violence against women and girls by African American males and may increase the likelihood that an African American youth will become either a victim or perpetrator of community violence (Hampton et al 2003;Simons et al 2006). Findings from Hammond and Yung (1993) suggest that African American youth who are perpetrators and/or victims of community violence may also feel that they are victimized by racial discrimination and, consequently, believe that violence is necessary for their survival.…”

Perceptions of child abuse: a comparison of three professional groups in Japan

“…Pierce and September (2000), building on Giovannoni and Becerra's (1979) and Segal's (1992) studies, found little agreement in South Africa in perceptions between social workers, the South African Police Child Protection Unit, human service workers, and lay persons. More frequently, studies in the US have concentrated on victims and their perceptions (such as Bower and Knutson, 1996;Doe, 2000;Gara and others, 1996;Varia and others, 1996) and on the perceptions of the general public (Daro and Gelles, 1992;Johnson and Sigler, 1995;Peltzer, 1999;Price and others, 2001), often assessing ethnic differences (Hampton, 1991;Hong and Hong, 1991). Kiong and others (1996) undertook an in-depth study of public perceptions in Singapore that should have informed the child welfare community.…”

The effects of self-protective behaviors on injury for African American women in domestic violence situations

“…For example, the women in the study of Moss et al [31] reported that they were encouraged not to disclose their abuse because they were socialized to believe that, "Whites have no business in our business". This belief structure encourages women to seek alternative solutions within the community that do not subject African American men to a criminal justice system that is overly harsh, demeaning, and supportive of the stereotype that black men are dangerous [18,36,39]. In addition, some women may feel that reporting abuse means denying their race.…”

“…In other words, they have the choice between being an abused woman or being Black. Being Black sometimes entails silence and dealing with the problem of abuse within the family [18,23,31,36]. Therefore African American women may be more likely to fight back within the home to avoid the negative community consequences that accompany reaching out for help.…”