Also..

Some white women may date black men with a "bad boy" image because they believe they can change or "clean him up." There’s often a hope that they can help turn his life around.

For example, I grew up in Gary, Indiana, and although I wasn’t involved in street life, I had friends who were. One of them, a guy I knew well, got into a lot of trouble over the years. We lost touch, but years later, his brother passed away from liver failure, and we reconnected at the funeral.

To our surprise, this friend showed up married to a white woman. She had completely transformed him. His kids looked and acted like suburban kids—well-behaved, nothing like the life we knew he came from. We joked with him about his street past, and he admitted that meeting her had changed everything. They met at work, fell in love, and she helped him leave the street life behind. Now, he’s a dedicated father with a job.

This story reflects why some women, particularly those outside of the street life, might be drawn to these men. They believe they can be part of that transformation, helping them leave their past behind. In many cases, they come from families that aren't involved in the same struggles, which further supports the change.