Contextualizing the Experiences of Black Women Arrested for Intimate Partner Violence in Canada

This qualitative study was informed by critical race feminism and explored Black women’s experiences with the police with a particular focus on how issues of race, racism, oppression, and subordination inform their experiences. It sought to answer three research questions: (1) What is known about Bl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of interpersonal violence 2022-11, Vol.37 (21-22), p.NP21189-NP21216
Main Author: Duhaney, Patrina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Black people
Domestic violence
Family Violence
Females
Feminism
Intimate partner violence
Oppression
Original
Police
Police brutality
Police community relations
Qualitative research
Race
Racism
Social services
Subordination
Violence
Women
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Summary:This qualitative study was informed by critical race feminism and explored Black women’s experiences with the police with a particular focus on how issues of race, racism, oppression, and subordination inform their experiences. It sought to answer three research questions: (1) What is known about Black women’s experiences with the police in the context of intimate partner violence? (2) Given their experiences with the police, what is their perception of the police? and (3) To what extent do women construct counter-narratives of their experiences with the police and what does that involve? The sample was comprised of 25 participants, 15 of whom were arrested. The women were over the age of 18 and lived in the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding areas. Most women expressed that they had negative encounters with the police, which was influenced by the police’s negative perceptions of them. Black women who called the police to intervene in an intimate partner violence incident were subjected to great scrutiny and vulnerable to racialized and gendered police violence. Consequently, women were fearful and distrustful of the police and were less likely to seek help from them in the future. The study answers the call for research that examines Black women’s experiences with the police from their perspective. It has implications for social service providers and provides strategies to improve future police interactions with Black communities.
ISSN:0886-2605
1552-6518
DOI:10.1177/08862605211056723