| Given the dearth in the literature on domestic violence re-victimization and African-American women, the present qualitative study explored domestic violence counselors' perceptions of the experiences of re-victimization among African-American women who have experienced domestic violence. The findings resulted in six superordinate themes and 16 subthemes, which included how counselors discover the phenomenon of domestic violence re-victimization through on--the-job experience and/or in consistent and non-standardized training. Counselors defined domestic violence re-victimization differently from the existing literature. Counselors deemed domestic violence re-victimization a significant problem, when defined as re-victimization by an abuser, or an abuser and the help-seeking process. Counselors who defined re-victimization as abuse through the help-seeking process considered it a somewhat significant problem. There are unique challenges to African-American victims, which included lack of resources, racial bias, and faith. Risk factors for re-victimization among African-American women include lack of financial resources and lack of awareness. Protective factors against re-victimization for African-American women included awareness, financial security, and a positive support system. Recommendations made focus on academic standardization within the human services field, from the definition to the treatment of re-victimization. These findings also point to the need for further training in the areas of professional development and cultural competency. The insights from this study may influence training curriculum developers to improve academic standardization and policy-makers to improve services available to African-American clients. |
