Formulaic Cycle Of Child Abuse In Black Culture

Battered black women bruise from the inside out. From growing up in a household where they could not speak unless spoken to, to having those same rules applied in their future intimate relationships, these womens’ silence holds much more than can be seen on the outside. When a person grows up in an abusive domestic environment, they are more likely to gravitate towards abusive relationships in their adult life. This is a toxic cycle that has been established, especially, in the Black community. Generally, in Black culture, it is not common for a person to express their inner feelings and disclose one’s difficult experiences, resulting in negative emotions such as sadness, depression, frustration, and anger to build up. Additionally, with the

A child only knows the boundaries that they are taught. Since they are naturally ignorant, this puts them in such a vulnerable position and makes it easy for them to trust the wrong people. Oftentimes, abusers will purposefully make it difficult to understand the difference between what is right and what is wrong in an attempt of manipulation. Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a widespread issue, as up to one in four girls experience CSA at one point in their life. And unfortunately, it is a significant fact that Black children have nearly twice the risk of sexual abuse as white children (“How Common Is Child Sexual Abuse? | Joshua Center on Child Sexual Abuse”). Estimates of CSA in America varies widely, Along with the sexual abuse inside the household, the oversexualization of black people, specifically focusing on female victims, that is broadcasted throughout society results in young black girls having to grow up too quickly. Considering they are viewed by society as adults from a young age, young black girls’ may make adult decisions. These decisions might include drinking, having sexual relations, or getting into serious, toxic and abusive relationships. In these instances, the black female youth will unknowingly take their experiences from their childhood sexual abuse and bring that with them into their relationships, just

Victims who are subjected to long periods of intense violence may develop post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD occurs as a result of exposure to extremely stressful and traumatic experiences, and according to statistics, 50-75% of female victims of intimate relationship violence suffer from PTSD (“Domestic Violence and Depression: What’s the Connection? - Mooditude — a Happier You!”). Additionally, substance abuse and addiction are frequently associated with co-occurring disorders such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Black survivors of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault consistently reported greater rates of use and abuse of numerous substances, including alcohol, marijuana, and crack cocaine, as compared to their white counterparts (West 16). In addition to the plethora of horrible outcomes, physical health problems are another result of abuse. Black survivors of IPV may be more vulnerable to reproductive issues and STD’s for a number of reasons. One reason is because they may have limited access to proper healthcare and adequate treatment for reproductive care. Another reason is because of the fear of defending themselves from their sexual abuser, meaning the lack of safe sex, using condoms or contraceptives (West