Experience of IPV and Access to IPV Services Among Black Women Mandated to Community Supervision Programs: A Qualitative Inquiry of Multiple Marginalized Identities

Background and Purpose: Black women who use drugs and are mandated to community supervision programs (CSPs) experience particularly high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). Studies suggest that women who have sex with women and men (WSWM) experience more IPV than other women. With a higher likelihood that WSWM who are mandated to CSPs are Black, these rates of violence are concerning. Standard measurement tools of IPV are heterocentric and white-centric, and often do not measure IPV tactics as they relate to multiple marginalized identities. Thus, women with these multiple, identities face a variety of obstacles when accessing IPV services. To address limitations of IPV measurement and gaps in existing literature related to service access and utilizations, guided by Minority Stress Theory, this paper qualitatively describes how patterns of IPV and IPV service utilization intersect with experiences of stigma and discrimination related to multiple marginalized identities.

Methods: Fifteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black WSWM who had experienced IPV, had a history of drug use, and were mandated to a CSP. The average age of participants was 33.1, 64.7% had experience childhood sexual or physical abuse, 15.4% had experienced police sexual misconduct, and 54.4% of respondents had used a core IPV service (DV shelter, order of protection, safety plan). Participants were recruited via email and text message from a list of participants who participated in a digital HIV intervention study. Interviews elicited participants’ experience of IPV by male and female partners as well as their experience accessing a broad range of IPV services. Interviews were recorded on Zoom, transcribed verbatim, and coded thematically using NVIVO qualitative software guided a grounded, 2-cycle coding approach.

Results: Women described well-documented IPV such as physical violence and financial abuse from male partners and psychological, verbal, and mutual physical violence by female partners. Unique forms of male IPV tactics included spiritual abuse and “taking a charge” for a partner. Additionally, women identified a need for range of services related to housing, employment, and mental health, beyond IPV services In addition to identifying barriers related to fear of additional law enforcement interaction, this study uncovered facilitators of accessing services, which is not often the focus of current literature. Good rapport with probation and parole staff, holistic services that consider identities and life circumstances, and a strong social network, each promoted greater access to services.

Conclusions and Implications: Results suggest that the nature of relationships and relationship dependencies between women who experiences IPV and their intimate partners plays a unique role in whether or not women decide to disclose IPV, seek police or legal protection and access IPV services. Importantly, these results also suggest that CSP staff play a vital role in connecting women to resources and should be considered when developing training and technical assistance, policies, and programs to better meet the needs of Black women involved in the criminal-legal system.