Department

Counseling and Human Services

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Date of Award

Winter 11-2023

Format

pdf

Degree Level

Ph.D

LCSH subject

African American men -- Relationships -- African American men -- Child sex abuse -- African American men -- Interpersonal relations -- Intimacy (Psychology)

Medium

manuscript

Proquest Document ID

31145236

Identifier

1518567218 (OCLC)

School/University

St. Mary's University

Size or duration

153 pages

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Reyna-Vasquez, Priscilla

Second Advisor

Murphree, Marisol

Third Advisor

O'Phelan, Moonyeen

Abstract

Relationship satisfaction among African American males is an important and feasible topic and underrepresented among scholarly literature. The purpose of this study was to explore relationship satisfaction and experiences among African American males who may be impacted by history of childhood sexual abuse. The study was guided by the theoretical frameworks of family systems theory. Using a concurrent mixed-methods triangulation design, the researcher collected data quantitatively and qualitatively from an online survey. Data were collected from 43 African American males recruited from Black organizations in the United States. The qualitative data collected by written narratives from the men were used to describe the lived experiences of the men to provide rich, in-depth understanding of the initial quantitative results. The results indicated that there was not a statistical difference in relationship satisfaction between the two groups of men, those who experienced childhood sexual abuse and those who did not experience childhood sexual abuse. The participants who experienced childhood sexual abuse and those who did not experience childhood sexual abuse both reported positive v relationship satisfaction. The qualitative data provided depth into the strengths, challenges, and supports of the relationships. Participants were fully aware that the primary variable of sexual abuse involves a personal matter and might cause participants to experience stressful, intrusive, and embarrassing feelings. To reduce the risk of the study, open-ended questions in the form of a narrative, rather than interviews, allowed participants anonymity. Additionally, a list of resources was provided at the end of the survey for participants who might wish to speak with a mental health professional or report potential child abuse to the authorities. Keywords: African American males, Black man, sexual abuse, relationship satisfaction, family

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