Criminal gangs, male-dominated services and the women and girls who fall through the gaps

This chapter reviews the literature on seeking and receiving help for black women, and the knowledge base on black women in the UK is very limited. African-American women have been also found to stay silent for longer about experiences of sexual violence because of internalised concepts of female strength. Beth Richie's concept of gender entrapment was used to map how violence against women may be reprioritised by the protecting, or overvaluing of black boys/men or through the systematic bodily devaluation of black girls/women. The contemporary construction of the strong black woman may enable some African-American women to cope with little support while simultaneously creating the illusion that the multiple social injustices they contend with can be overcome through individual psychological resolve. African-American woman are thus found to be less likely to seek help from mental health services in the aftermath of sexual violence, unless they are severely distressed.