A Black Feminist Issue & a Womanist Response: Examining the IPV Experiences of U.S. Rural Black Women

Background and Purpose: Violence against U.S. Black women has been conceptualized as a problem, garnering the attention of Black feminists as it highlights the oppressive convergence of racism and sexism. Due, in part to their social position and controlling images perpetrated by societal norms, U.S. Black women disproportionately bear the brunt of nonlethal and lethal intimate partner violence (IPV) outcomes, with IPV-related homicide being the second leading cause of premature death for Black women between the ages of 15 and 25. Yet there remains a dearth of literature situating IPV in the context of various geographic locations for racial and ethnic populations. Therefore, it is imperative to contextualize Black women's victimization in the geographical communities in which they reside to understand the interlocking oppressions that lie at the intersections of race, class, gender, and geography. This scoping review aims to explore the current state of knowledge regarding U.S. rural Black women's experiences with IPV.

Methods: A scoping review was utilized to explore the IPV experiences among English-speaking U.S. women who identify as African American or Black women living in U.S. rural communities. Ten databases were systematically reviewed to identify 291 relevant studies, which were screened using Rayyan, a web-based systematic review tool.

Results: Thirteen studies were included in the scoping review. Studies surrounding Black women's experiences with IPV while living in U.S. rural communities highlight three distinct areas: contact with the legal system, IPV during pregnancy and reproductive justice, and help-seeking. Findings highlight the continual need to contextualize Black women's IPV experience within interlocking forms of oppression across race, gender, class, and geography.

Conclusions and Implications: Conclusions and Implications: Addressing U.S. rural Black women’s experiences with IPV requires a community-based response to challenge the racism, sexism, poverty, and other institutions that allow violence against U.S. Black women to persist. A womanist response is committed to the survival and wholeness of entire people – including men, women, and children. This Black feminist issue requires a womanist response rooted in community to transform the lives of U.S. rural Black women and appropriately address their unique IPV experiences.