Domestic Violence in African-American and African-Caribbean Families

Abstract

This article explores domestic violence, specifically spouse abuse, in African-American and African-Caribbean families in the United States, Its purpose is to review the existing literature on Black couples and violence, examine the applicability of current theories of violence to Blacks, and outline the barriers to the treatment of domestic violence in this population. The variables of institutionalized racism and internalized racism, as factors in lowering self-esteem, are examined as contributors to Black women’s acceptance of mistreatment Suggestions are made for empirical research to close the gaps in the literature.