The Book

Buy the Award-Winning Book Here (over 800 copies sold, as of January 2025)!!!!!!!!

Read the Introduction Chapter: What’s Racism Got To Do With It? Black Women & Girls, Sexual Abuse, & Liberation

Foreword: A Love Song for Black Women and Girl Survivors of Sexual Abuse

by Dr. Thema Bryant: 2023 President of American Psychological Association (APA) and womanist, multicultural feminist trauma psychologist and survivor.

Advanced Praise

“It is rare to find a book that offers the reader a seamless, yet powerful, integration of Black liberation theory; intersectional feminism; and illustrations of the stark, intergenerational, and persistent effects of the sexual assaults that have been perpetrated on Black women’s bodies from the moment they were hauled onto slave ships 400 years ago. Yet The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women and Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing From Sexual Abuse does all of these things, and eloquently. Any therapist who works with women of African descent, any woman of African descent healing from trauma, any ally to these women, should be reading this book, because it is transformative, and what Jennifer Gómez has to say matters.”—Laura S. Brown, PhD, ABPP, independent intersectional feminist practice, Seattle, WA

“In The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women and Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing From Sexual Abuse, Jennifer M. Gómez, PhD, brilliantly articulates a widely known phenomenon that often goes unnamed—that the trauma following sexual abuse is exacerbated when those we trust, those from our own cultural group, are our perpetrators. Dr. Gómez reviews how cultural betrayal sexual trauma complicates nearly every part of surviving sexual abuse, from our freedom to seek safety from family members, our church homes, or the legal system to our ability to seek medical and therapeutic care even decades after the abuse has ended. This book is a must-read for anyone who works with Black women and girls who have experienced sexual trauma and wants to offer culturally competent trauma therapy that contributes to our holistic healing. Equally important, Black survivors of cultural betrayal sexual trauma will benefit from this book, seeing the complexity of their abuse and their pain named and validated. Finally, Dr. Gómez encourages all of us to think beyond the individual to consider how each and every one of us can strive for radical healing in our communities and in the world.”—NiCole T. Buchanan, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association

Book Review

“Gómez’s theory is ‘placed within and atop more than 150 years of Black women’s (and some others’) scholarship and activism,’ drawing on the work of Black Feminists such as Audre Lorde, bell hooks, and the Combahee River Collective. In explicitly peppering quotes from ‘brilliant scholars and activists,’ she rejects ‘a singular, individualization of [her] work in favor of contextualizing [her] contributions within the past and present collective We.’  

This powerful communal approach to her writing is an application of her own theory that calls for binding ourselves to the power of community for healing. 

In a time of global shared traumas, as we experience both harm and hopefully healing, Gómez’ work, although in parts directed at mental health practitioners, is applicable to all who confront harm committed within our communities. As a result, we can learn to heal together, and end patterns of violence.” 

Full Book Review (McDaniel, 2025): https://againstthecurrent.org/atc234/toward-communal-healing/

Information about the Book

Chapter 1- What’s Racism Got To Do With It? Black Women & Girls, Sexual Abuse, & Liberation

Chapter 2- Black Women & Girls: Racism & Intersectional Oppression

Chapter 3- The ‘Rape Problem’ & Secondary Marginalization Against Black Women & Girls

Chapter 4- Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory: Framework, Evidence, & Future Directions

Chapter 5- Culturally Competent Trauma Therapy: Holistic Healing

Chapter 6- Radical Healing In The Black Community

Chapter 7- Institutional Courage To Change The World

From a Black feminist perspective, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing from Sexual Abuse incorporates work from multiple disciplines:

  • psychology
  • social work
  • legal studies
  • sociology
  • political science
  • Black feminist scholarship
  • women & gender studies
  • philosophy
  • anthropology

1st Half of Book: Basic Research

2nd Half of Book: Application

The crux of the book is my theory on cultural betrayal trauma. In cultural betrayal trauma theory, I propose that if a Black girl is sexually assaulted by a Black man, the outcomes of this trauma, such as dissociation, are impacted by both the victim and perpetrator experiencing discrimination in society. Specifically, because of structural racism, within-group violence–Black perpetrator, Black victim–includes a cultural betrayal harm because it violates the solidarity, or (intra)cultural trust), developed within the Black community that protects against the racism. Our research with diverse marginalized populations shows that that cultural betrayal in trauma & violence is associated with abuse outcomes, like PTSD and suicidality, as well as cultural outcomes, like internalized prejudice.

For more information, including the research, definitions, videos, diagrams, and more, see my webpage on cultural betrayal trauma theory.

Primary Audience: Professionals & Students

  • academic, research, and clinical/counseling psychologists
  • researchers and clinicians from above disciplines 
  • trauma researchers
  • trauma clinicians
  • race scholars
  • Black feminists/womanists 

Additional Audiences

  • Black women and girls who have experienced cultural betrayal sexual trauma—that is sexual abuse within the Black community 
  • Black people who want to contribute to shared community healing across genders 
  • anyone who wants to better understand and support Black women and girls who have been sexually victimized
  • people who have been sexually victimized and are not Black women or girls
  • race, (Black, radical, Third World, etc.) feminist, and other activists engaged in fights for societal equality related to anti-Black racism, sexism, intersectional oppression, and violence against women and girls

Talks/Podcasts/Editorial About The Book

At the January 2022 Boston University School of Social Work Equity & Inclusion Speaker Series, I discuss my thought process in writing the book in my workshop, “Cultural Betrayal & ‘Conundrums’: The Making of a Book”.

Black Girl Burnout Podcast

Opt Out Of Silence Part 1: 26 minutes

In this episode, Host Kelley Bonner and Dr. Jennifer M. Gómez discusses the importance of Opting Out of Silence. Sexual abuse and violence are prevalent issues in the Black community, particularly affecting Black women and girls. Unfortunately, the silence surrounding these issues can be deafening. If you are ready to learn more about the cultural pressures that can make it difficult for individuals to speak out about abuse, this episode is for you.

Opt Out of Silence Part 2: 20 minutes

In this episode, Host Kelley Bonner and Dr. Jennifer M. Gómez continue their discussion on Opting Out of Silence. Today they focus on the importance of shifting focus from documenting harm to measuring post-traumatic growth and cultural resilience. The Black Girl Burnout community is a safe and supportive space to explore the unique challenges Black Women face in our personal and professional lives. This episode is for you if you are ready to learn how to find the Joy amidst the challenges and the pain. 

Opt Out of Silence Part 3: 17 minutes

In this episode, Host Kelley Bonner and Dr. Jennifer Gomez conclude their discussion on Opting Out of Silence. Today they focus on the power of finding joy in the midst of adversity and using it as a form of activism and healing work. This episode is for you if you are ready to intentionally integrate Joy into your life.

How We Can Heal Podcast

The Importance of Cultural Betrayal Trauma, with Dr. Jennifer M. Gómez: 56 minutes

We’re going deep on racism and sexual trauma in this episode. We’re also exploring the theory of cultural betrayal, specifically by members of your same race, culture, or even family. Hear how it’s applied to celebrities, politicians, and everyday people. Our guest, Dr. Jennifer M. Gómez wrote the book on cultural betrayal (literally). Dr. Gómez published groundbreaking work after she developed Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory as a tool for examining the impacts of discrimination and inequality in the wake of trauma. As an Assistant Professor at Boston University in the Clinical Practice department in the School of Social Work and as a faculty affiliate for the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health, Dr. Gómez has made tremendous contributions to trauma therapies. She’s a black feminist trauma researcher and race scholar dedicated to understanding the effects of physical, sexual and emotional trauma in diverse and marginalized populations. There is something interesting for everyone to take away from this conversation.

DreamStorming – Finding Hope & Joy in the face of Cultural Betrayal, with Dr. Jennifer M. Gómez: 50 minutes

Cultural betrayal can have a painful impact on entire groups of people, but there are ways to overcome it. In a continuation of a conversation we started with Dr. Jennifer M Gómez, we dive into the concept of “DreamStorming”, and explore the bigger picture of cultural, racial, and gender privileges. At the end, just when we thought we were finished, our producer Christine sparks up a passionate debate on how the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade is a powerful example of cultural betrayal for many women. Please listen to our previous episode with Dr. Gómez, if you haven’t already. Dr. Gómez developed Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory as a tool for examining the impacts of discrimination and inequality in the wake of trauma. As an Assistant Professor at Boston University in the Clinical Practice department in the School of Social Work and as a faculty affiliate for the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health, Dr. Gómez has made tremendous contributions to trauma therapies. She’s a black feminist trauma researcher and race scholar dedicated to understanding the effects of physical, sexual and emotional trauma in diverse and marginalized populations.

Healing the Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls: Bringing the Dreamstorm to Life, with Dr. Jennifer M Gómez: 1 hour

In this episode of the How We Can Heal podcast, host Lisa Danylchuk speaks with Dr. Jennifer M. Gómez about cultural betrayal trauma, particularly in the context of Black women and girls. This in-depth discussion explores the complexities of holding perpetrators accountable, transforming cultural expectations, and the importance of small wins in the healing process. Dr. Gomez also shares insights from her recent book, ‘The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women and Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing from Sexual Abuse,’ and her collaborative work in the field of trauma recovery.

Speaking Out of Place Podcast

Speaking Out of Place: Dr. Gómez Discusses “The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls”

In this episode of the Speaking Out of Place podcast, Professor David Palumbo-Liu interviews Dr. Jennifer M. Gómez about her new book, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women and Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing from Sexual Abuse, which takes on the particular difficulty of centering the voices and experiences of Black women and girls when confronting sexual violence in the Black community.

Jennifer M. Gómez is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work and a Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at Boston University, and a Board Member and Chair of the Research Advisory Committee at the Center for Institutional Courage. Her primary research focus is cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT), which she created as a framework for understanding the mental, behavioral, cultural, and physical health impact of violence on Black and other marginalized youth, young adults, and elders within the context of inequality.

Written while she was a 2021-22 Fellow at the Stanford University Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS), her book, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing from Sexual Abuse (American Psychological Association; 2023), provides individual, interpersonal, and structural strategies for healing.

“So many of us have experienced things along this vein, and when we know that, then the feelings of isolation can be interrupted with this understanding that many of us have been through these things. And if that person over there can experience joy, well maybe I can experience joy too, and maybe this is a different kind of harm and cultural betrayal. Sexual trauma and abuse as a collective community-level harm, that means community-level healing and personal healing. The radical hope piece for me … it’s like – No, things are crappy. They’re awful. And ‘how can I still experience joy and happiness and believe that the world can be different even in the face of all the evidence suggesting otherwise?’ And how powerful that is. And I think the orientation that this framework has includes understanding your history, understanding your past.”–Jennifer M. Gómez

#RaceClass

#RaceClass episode. #Ep. 46: The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls, with Dr. Jennifer Gómez:

Time Stamps: With Descriptions

  • 00:00 – 00:56 = Introduction Music
  • 00:57 – 1:50 = Host Jonathan Feingold, JD, introduces #RaceClass & Dr. Gómez
  • 1:50 – 3:30 = Where to buy her book, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls
  • 3:30 – 8:59 = Response to deep question of “how are you (actually) doing?”
    • Dr. Gómez discusses the dialectic of horror and hope, while simultaneously pulling wisdom and strength from the ancestors; in her case, specifically, her Grandmother Mrs. Anna Cook Gómez, her Grandmother’s Mother, her Grandmother’s Grandmother, and Mr. Arthur Mitchell—co-founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem
  • 9:00 – 11:24 = Moment of possibility for systemic change
    • Host Jonathan Feingold, JD, describes how the present moment creates the possibility for radical change through people’s individual and collective resistance
  • 11:25 – 17:25 = Response to deep question of “where was your racial education?”
    • Dr. Gómez discusses some of her experiences of intersectional racism—racism & sexism—in childhood, including how she internalized the discrimination in her youth, and learned about interpersonal and structural intersectional discrimination as an adult
  • 17:26 – 22:30 = Response to question of her professional journey
  • 22:31 – 27:52 = Discussion of importance of building work on that that came before
    • Host Jonathan Feingold, JD, and Dr. Gómez discuss strategies for explicitly situating your work within that of others’ brilliant scholarship, while combatting dominant academic norms of individuality and exceptionality 
  • 27:52 – 30:45 = What is cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT)? And what is the role of racism?
    • Dr. Gómez explains CBTT, including the role of racism in the harm of cultural betrayal trauma
  • 30:46 – 32:20 = Where has CBTT been accepted?
  • 32:21 – 35:30 = Where has CBTT been rejected?
    • Dr. Gómez discusses how some White feminist spaces and race spaces have rejected this work, which is an example of political intersectionality (concept by Kimberlé Crenshaw, JD). She further talks about how academia can be fickle in what it chooses to value, combined with senior Black feminist and critical scholars who provide opportunity for her work
  • 35:31 – 41:57 = Secondary marginalization, antisemitism, and former U.S. President Obama
    • Centering Black women and girls, Host Jonathan Feingold, JD, reads an excerpt from The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls. Host Jonathan Feingold, JD, introduces links to criticisms among Jews and, separately, criticisms about President Obama, with Dr. Gómez amplifying the role of White et al. Supremacy and Dr. Cathy Cohen’s concept of secondary marginalization into the discussion 
  • 41:58 – 45:31 = Intersectionality Theory, Black Lives Matter, & Me Too
  • 45:32 – 50:51 = Dreamstorming for ending sexual violence
    • Dr. Gómez explains the genesis and definition of her concept of dreamstorming (including how it differs from brainstorming), and then applies it to the (should be) intersectional efforts to end sexual violence that promotes both peace and equality
  • 50:52 – 51:53 = Closing

Intersectionality Research Salon

Intersectionality Training Institute’s Intersectionality Research Salon 

Is It All Cultural Betrayal? From Intersectional Oppression to Dreamstorming A World of Peace & Equality with Jennifer M Gómez, PhD

In this Salon, Dr. Gómez draws on her award-winning book, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing from Sexual Abuse (American Psychological Association) to think through an intersectionality puzzle: Cultural betrayal is implicit in the violence between Black people because it violates our protective solidarity against racism. But is that all the harm there is? Might the harm of Black male perpetrated sexual violence against Black women and girls also include a kind of misogynoir given the intersectionally lower status of us in the Black community? Far from leaving us hopeless, Dr. Gómez will also pull from her practice of dreamstorming—If the world perfectly equal and perfectly peaceful, what would that be like? And how do we get there?—to engage in discussion of how to remain hopeful and positively impact the world within a time of societal regression and explosive bigotry.

Videos:

Jennifer M Gómez, PhD, discusses approaches to research, writing, collaborative and solo authorship (~4 min.)

Description: Jennifer M. Gómez, PhD, discusses her writing process and the way in which she works toward publishing and writing, specifically on how she incorporates intellectual collaboration in producing so many works of solo authorship.

Jennifer M Gómez, PhD, discusses her concept of “Dreamstorming” (~5 min)

Description: Jennifer M. Gómez, PhD, discusses her concept of “Dreamstorming”; a process she uses to transcend the restrictions of current expectations around what is possible to be able to start intellectually and emotionally engaging with what could and should be possible: a fully peaceful and equal world.

The cultural betrayal of Black women and girls, a Black feminist approach to healing from sexual abuse (~12 min)

Description: Jennifer M. Gómez, PhD, discusses her groundbreaking and theoretically rich book, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls: A Black Feminist Approach to Healing from Sexual Abuse, which is grounded in Black Feminism and incorporates various epistemologies and disciplines, including psychology, social work, legal studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, philosophy, women & gender studies, and Chicana feminism. //The book tackles contradictions and predicaments faced by Black women and girls, centering their experiences and perspectives. It employs self-reflexivity as a pedagogical tool, with the author being present throughout. The book advocates for the need for cross-disciplinary integration and collaboration, so that everyone can understand the intersections of issues like racism, sexism, and sexual violence. //The author theoretically and empirically developed the concept of “cultural betrayal trauma theory” over the course of about 10 years, drawing on work from attachment theory, Dr. Jennifer Freyd’s betrayal trauma theory, ethnic minority trauma psychology, Black feminism, and her own experiences. The term evolved from “minority betrayal” to “cultural betrayal” to better capture the nuances of in-group dynamics and (intra)cultural pressure faced by Black women and girls. Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory continues to be refined and extended to address Dr. Cathy Cohen’s concept of secondary marginalization and other aspects of the lived experiences of Black women and girls.

Jennifer M Gómez, PhD explains secondary marginalization in Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory (~4 min)

Description: Jennifer M. Gómez, PhD, discusses her book, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women and Girls (2023), and within it how she writes that sexual violence against Black women and girls may be an instantiation of intersectional oppression, specifically misogynoir (the intersection of racism and sexism). In this clip, she explains Dr. Cathy Cohen’s concept of “secondary marginalization,” which helps explain why Black male-perpetrated violence against Black women and girls feels different from other forms of within-group violence. Finding support for this theorization, an in-progress research study found that the more intersecting oppressions Black young women experience, the stronger the impact of cultural betrayal sexual trauma on dissociation.

Inside Higher Ed

In the Conditionally Accepted Blog at Inside Higher Ed is my piece, Is Academia A Dream Killer?, where I talk about my book, dreamstorming, and moving from liberatory thought to liberating action.

Excerpt:

“In dreamstorming, we focus our energies beyond strategies of mitigating harm. For instance, in thinking about how to transform the university into a violence- and oppression-free place, brainstorming can lead us to one-off trainings and minute changes to policy. In contrast, dreamstorming points our vision to fundamentally eradicating the interlocking systems of oppression that uphold violence and oppression in higher education and society.

…

As a sexual violence researcher, living in Doom and Gloom Land is very easy. Both the prevalence and costs of sexual violence remain high, and so often the world seems to vacillate between not knowing and not caring—especially when it comes to Black women and girls being sexually abused. In my new book, I center Black women and girls and our experiences of sexual abuse and discrimination as the harmful foundation that needs liberatory transformation. Specifically, I detail how intersectional oppression both promotes and erases cultural betrayal sexual trauma—that is, Black male–perpetrated sexual abuse against Black women and girls.

Beyond Doom and Gloom Land, however, I dreamstorm a path toward liberation:

  • How therapy—instead of being pathologizing and discriminatory—could actually be helpful for Black women and girls.
  • How radical healing is possible for Black girls and women who have experienced incest within their families.
  • How, through institutional courage, we individually and collectively have the power to transform this world into one that is both equitable and peaceful.”

Book Handout

I also have created a handout with tips, tricks, and lessons learned for the book-writing process called, So You Want To Write An Academic Book? Lessons From A Junior Faculty Member in a Non-Book Writing Field.

Condemned To Dance: Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory

Condemned To Dance: Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory is an arts-based research project (dissertation and choreography by Jennifer M. Gómez) that tells the story of a fictional group of people called the Wigglies, who are hurt by Oppression and endure cultural betrayal trauma through dance.

As of May 2025, the video has received 3,000 views. 

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Buy The Book Here!!!!

Read the Introduction Chapter: What’s Racism Got To Do With It? Black Women & Girls, Sexual Abuse, & Liberation