Protective Communication: an Exploratory Mixed Methods Study of Black Parents’ Communication about Sexual Health and Trauma in the Context of Structural Racism

This exploratory sequential mixed methods study examines Black parent-child sexual health communication within the context of the intersections of structural racism and victim-blaming beliefs. Phase 1 included focus groups with community “advisory panelists” (N = 5) to provide community perceptions and experiences working with Black families. The second phase, a cross-sectional survey of Black parents (N = 457), resulted in a statistically significant relationship between rape myth acceptance and perceived discrimination among parents and significant associations between both parents’ perceived discrimination and worry about their children experiencing racism and parents’ communication about sexual health. The final phase included follow-up focus groups (N = 21) with Black parents to expand further on the findings of the previous phases, resulting in three critical themes: (1) protection from intergenerational silencing and trauma; (2) protection from the intersections of racist and sexist tropes; (3) protection through the village – communication that breaks the cycle of silence. Utilizing Intersectionality as a theoretical framework, the results confirmed a protective framing of parent-child communication. The findings were integrated across all three phases, identifying perceived racial discrimination as a primary socio-cultural context that influences Black parental communication regarding sexual health and trauma. Moreover, the study’s implications include baseline data for the development of interventions to strengthen the effectiveness of parent-child sexual health communication that are culturally relevant and reduce victim-blaming behaviors. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design demonstrated that Black parents’ sexual health communication is shaped by protection against intergenerational trauma, racist and sexist tropes, and structural inequities. Parents with lived experiences of sexual trauma reported heightened vigilance and greater openness in discussing sexual health with their children, often beginning at earlier ages. Findings illustrate the value of applying Intersectionality and the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to situate parent–child sexual health communication within broader interpersonal, community, and structural contexts. Practical implications include guiding parents and caregivers, practitioners, educators, community leaders, and policymakers in developing culturally responsive, community-led interventions that combat rape culture, reduce silencing, and strengthen protective family communication.