Battered, black, and blue: An overview of violence in the lives of black women

The purpose of this article is to review the many forms of violence in the lives of African American women, including childhood sexual abuse, dating violence, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. The first section will address definitions of violence, prevalence rates and risk factors, and suggest new directions for research. The second section is a review of the most common psychological sequelae associated with Black women's victimization. The final section is devoted to activities that promote healing, including therapy, participation in research studies, and activism. (C) 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.