African American Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: Lived Experience and Future Directions for Research

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research indicates that African American women experience especially high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). Unique contributing factors, such as experiences of racism, compound the experience of IPV for African American women. This complex web of victimization is associated with a host of significant mental and physical health consequences, social and economic consequences, and increased engagement in high-risk behaviors for these women. African American women’s help-seeking efforts are hindered by a diverse set of circumstances. In addition, the picture of the African American community has changed significantly in recent decades. The growing diversity of the “African American” community in the U.S. implores us to enhance our understanding of the unique sub-populations of Black women in America (African Americans, African immigrants and refugees, African Caribbean immigrants, African American lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women) to better meet their needs, and ultimately reduce IPV within the African American community. Despite over two decades of growth in the research and literature on IPV in the African American community, many sub-populations remain neglected. This paper aims to present a brief overview of the current state of the literature regarding the experience of IPV for African American female survivors and identify areas for further research.