Sean I. Gibbs^1,, Jalyn Holden¹, Deja Harper¹, Sojourner A. Gibbs²

Domestic violence is a pervasive and complex public health problem impacting more than 10 million people per year in the United States . Even though the social, emotional, and psychological impacts of domestic violence are felt universally, certain demographics are uniquely vulnerable to its impacts. Specifically, African American college-age women attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are disproportionately affected by domestic violence. Institutions of higher learning, national programs, and federally funded organizations have developed interventions to address violence on college campuses. However, cultural barriers and preconceived stigmas reduce the effectiveness of standard domestic violence prevention programs. This article analyzed needs assessment data, domestic violence impact reports, gaps in the literature, and current violence prevention strategies for HBCU campuses to examine the problems and identify solutions. The mixed-methods analysis results provided thematic patterns of intersectionality, treatment barriers, and violence prevention strategies for the development of a domestic violence prevention program designed explicitly for HBCU communities as a theoretical solution. The culturally specific domestic violence prevention program structure, objectives, learning outcomes, and implementation description are provided. Although preliminary findings indicate that the proposed domestic violence prevention program will increase awareness, utilization of support services, and potentially reduce reported incidents of violence among target populations, further quantitative studies are suggested as implications for future research and research limitations.

domestic violence prevention, HBCU, culturally specific program, African American, college campus