Bridging Identity and Coping: The Experiences of Black Muslim Survivors of Domestic Violence

Background and Purpose: In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that approximately 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (Black et al., 2011).  While researchers are now examining the influence of race, class, and other social identities on domestic violence, less attention has been devoted to religion.  In particular, little research exists on the experience of American Muslim women survivors.  Although racially black Muslims make up a large majority of the American Muslim population, there are no studies that examine their experience.

The following paper presents findings from a study aimed to fill this gap.  The research question is: How does a black Muslim woman’s identity influence how she responds to domestic violence?  This question was answered through exploring the following sub-questions:  1) How does she experience domestic violence?  2) How does she cope with it?

Methods:In-depth, semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 6 black Muslim women survivors of domestic violence.  Participants were initially recruited through formal networks, informal networks, and snowball sampling.  Formal networks included local mosques and community-based organizations.  Informal networks included groups created by Muslim women to share knowledge and build friendships, one of which the author is a part of.  Subsequent participants were recruited through snowball sampling.

Participants completed: 1) an initial interview exploring their experiences and responses to domestic violence; 2) a follow-up interview two weeks after the initial interview clarifying ideas expressed in the initial interview and allow participants to provide more detail and depth about information that was particularly relevant to the study, and 3) a member-check to get participants’ feedback on the accuracy of interpretation.  Interviews were transcribed verbatim and stripped of any identifying information. Data was analyzed using grounded theory methodology.

Findings:  Data analyses revealed that women’s coping responses are linked to their own views about what it means to be a “good” Muslim women.  In addition, what it meant to be a good Muslim woman changed over time – what they thought this meant at the beginning of their relationship was different from what they believe present-day. Race also plays a role in how black Muslim women coped, but the degree to which women saw race as important to their coping varied.

While participants identified as survivors of abuse, they also identified that they took on abusive tendencies in order to try to regain power that was lost as one form of coping.  Women partly attributed their former partner’s abusive behavior to culture and socialization.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings highlight the influence of social identity on domestic violence experience and coping, showing that women’s experiences are shaped by how they perceive themselves and are perceived. Further, results emphasize that culturally and religiously relevant intervention and early education about healthy relationships for both men and women are essential to keeping all people safe.