The Book

Pre-order the book here!!!! (Book Birthday: 11 July 2023!!)

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: President of American Psychological Association (APA) and womanist, multicultural feminist trauma psychologist.

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

Information about the Book

From a Black feminist perspective, I incorporate work from multiple disciplines, including psychology, social work, law, sociology, political science, Black feminist scholarship, women & gender studies, philosophy, and anthropology. The first half of the book is basic research on structural and cultural racism, intersectional oppression/intersectionality, and cultural betrayal trauma theory. The second half of the book is applied: culturally competent trauma therapy, radical healing in the Black community, and institutional courage to change the systems that condone and promote racism, intersectional oppression, cultural betrayal sexual trauma, and all the costly individual, interpersonal, and community outcomes.

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.

As an academic book, The Cultural Betrayal of Black Women & Girls can be relevant for diverse audiences. The primary audience is academic, research, and clinical/counseling psychologists, as well as researchers and clinicians from social work, sociology, gender & feminist studies, public health, psychiatry, anthropology, Africana studies, and other allied professionals in fields interested in understanding the impact of cultural betrayal sexual trauma against Black women and girls within the context of racism and intersectional oppression. This includes trauma researchers, trauma clinicians, race scholars, and Black feminists/womanists. The secondary audience is graduate and undergraduate students involved in academic, research, and/or clinical training in psychology, social work, psychiatry, gender & feminist studies, Africana studies, anthropology, sociology, public health, and allied fields. This includes those who are student trauma researchers, trauma clinicians, race scholars, and/or Black feminists/womanists. Additional audiences are: Black women and girls who have experienced cultural betrayal sexual trauma; 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; and 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 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.

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.