Domestic violence in the African American community

The introduction to this special issue provides a brief overview of major trends in domestic violence and domestic homicide among African Americans. The authors acknowledge progress in the field of domestic violence relative to addressing these disturbing trends and encourage efforts that seek to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and situational context in which domestic violence occurs among African Americans. The purpose of this special issue is discussed and brief summaries of each of the articles published in this issue are provided.