Black Communities' Perspectives on High-Risk Domestic Violence.

Abstract

Domestic violence homicide is a serious issue that is receiving increased attention in communities across the country. The Black community has been disproportionately impacted by domestic violence fatality. However, little information has been obtained as to how these communities understand and perceive high-risk domestic violence. This article provides information from 128 focus group participants from diverse Black communities on their perceptions of what constitutes high-risk domestic violence. The findings affirm some current high-risk indicators, such as stalking, strangulation, use of threats, access to a weapon, and isolation, and provide nuanced perspectives of each indicator. In addition, the findings provide new thoughts on what these communities identified as high-risk domestic violence, including public violence, repeated violence with no consequences, escalation of arguments, disconnection from the community, and being a member of a marginalized group. Implications for practice, policy, education, and protocol development are provided.