Date

12-4-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Sarah Walsh

Keywords

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), Black church, religious and cultural barriers, interdisciplinary collaboration, trauma response, clergy training, victim support

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this quality improvement study was to understand the cultural and structural barriers that hinder “Blessings and Grace Church,” a Black faith-based institution, from effectively addressing intimate partner violence (IPV). The study identified context-specific strategies to improve survivor support, enhance safety measures, and strengthen resource accessibility within the church. The goal was to inform culturally responsive and theologically sensitive improvements tailored to the needs of this specific faith-based community. The setting for the study was an urban Black church in southern Texas. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory was the theoretical framework guiding this study. According to this theory, a multi-layered system of individual, relational, institutional, and societal factors shapes human development. For this study, the focus is on the role of the Black church when responding to IPV. The data collection methods were semi-structured interviews and non-participating observations. Thematic analysis identified patterns and themes in the data related to religious and cultural beliefs, training, support mechanisms, and collaboration with external resources. This study aimed to discover how this Black faith-based institution can improve its capacity to support its congregations who have experienced IPV while maintaining its spiritual integrity through interdisciplinary partnerships, leading to culturally competent practices and collaborative models that empower both the Black church leaders and their congregations.

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