Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major health and safety concern in the United States (U.S.). On average, more than 10 million women and men per year are physically abused by an intimate partner in the U.S.. Additionally, Black and Hispanic couples are two to three times more likely to report male-to-female and female-to-male partner violence than White couples. Black women experience significantly higher rates of severe physical IPV as well as nonphysical abuse—including, insults, name-calling, and coercive control—than do women overall. Even still, there is limited research about how different forms of IPV influence African American women’s existential well-being – sense of purpose and meaning in life, and more specifically looking at if Africultural coping – coping strategies informed by African-centered perspectives –is a moderator for this relationship. The aim of this study is to assess four questions: (a) are IPV and existential well-being related? (b) are IPV and Africultural coping related? (c) are existential wellbeing and Africultural coping related? and (d) does Africultural coping moderate the relationship between IPV and existential wellbeing among African American women? Results will be discussed along with the limitations and future directions for research on these topics.
