“I Bring Peace”: Cultural Assets as Facilitators to Young Black Women’s Healthy Romantic Relationship Dynamics

Teen dating violence (TDV) victimization leads to serious health consequences including substance use, suicidal ideation, injury, and death. Young Black American women report consistently high rates of physically violent teen dating relationships compared to other racial groups. However, research rarely examines cultural assets—individual and collective resources that help Black women maintain positive identity and healthy outcomes—as protective factors against TDV. This study explored how cultural assets facilitate healthy romantic relationships for young Black women through virtual interviews with 36 participants (ages 18–21). Using intersectionality and counternarrative theoretical frameworks, researchers identified four key cultural assets participants believed promoted healthy relationship dynamics: (1) direct, straightforward communication; (2) self-sufficiency, independence, and resilience; (3) nurturing and protecting partners; and (4) intersectionally-informed perspective taking. Analysis also revealed unintended negative consequences of these cultural assets, including hesitancy to fully share oneself in relationships and bracing for disappointment. As one of the first studies to examine cultural assets as facilitators of healthy intimate relationships among young Black women, these findings offer an important foundation for developing culturally informed TDV interventions that center on community strengths rather than exclusively emphasizing risk.