In the first section of this chapter I will review the research on racial differences and similarities in the rates and types of physical partner violence across the relationship continuum. In the section section, I will focus on new directions for research. More specifically, methodological problems may influence the research findings, and thus our understanding of racial differences in domestic violence. I will review these research limitations and offer suggestions for more appropriate research methods. The goal of the final section is to articulate a Black feminist theoretical perspective that better explains violence in the lives of Black women.