Black Mothers' Perceptions of Barriers and Motivators for Initiating Adolescent Dating Violence Discussions with Daughters

Abstract

This study examined Black mothers' motivations to hold discussions about adolescent dating violence (ADV) with adolescent daughters using a reproductive justice framework. A total of 21 Black mothers participated focus groups. Although they overwhelmingly reported a willingness to discuss ADV with their daughters, mother reported three unique personal and contextual barriers to holding these conversations: (1) experiences with maternal ADV discussions during their won adolescence; (2) lack of comfort discussing ADV issues; and (3) perceptions of their daughters' readiness for these discussions. These results highlight the importance of developing the generationally appropriate interventions to facilitate Black mothers' ability to provide daughters with ADV protective strategies.