Violence Against Women: Partner abuse more prevalent among same-sex couples than between straight pairs
Violence against women is a global issue and one that has been ongoing for centuries. In the 21st century, there is more awareness, yet, every year 66,000 women are violently killed globally, accounting for approximately 17% of all victims of intentional homicides. MEA Worldwide's (MEAWW) Violence Against Women campaign will examine different aspects of the issue and society's role in addressing it.
Domestic violence or intimate partner violence, as it is now commonly referred to, is usually a topic of conversation with regard to heterosexual relationships. The fact of the matter that is often overlooked is that it is also an issue in the LGBTQ community. It has only come to the forefront in recent years, by studies in the US suggest that people same-sex relationships are subject to equal or even higher of intimate partner violence than heterosexual ones. Since the movement against domestic abuse began with its focus on helping women abused by male partners, for years now, the US health and public service workers have turned a blind eye, despite the legalization of same-sex marriages and civil partnerships in a majority of the states.
Partner violence in lesbian relationships have been identified as an important social problem, says Dr Suzana Rose, PhD, National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center, University of Missouri. Psychologists that have been studying intimate partner violence among same-sex couples found that one of the causes for it stems from the minority stress model, where the notion of hailing from a minority community adds to the already existing stress. The external stressors range from discrimination to violence against those that identify as gay where victims hesitate to report abuse to law enforcement because they do not want to come out.
Internal stressors can be personalized negative perceptions about homosexuality which can be especially damaging. Homosexual individuals project their pessimistic beliefs and feelings about themselves onto their partner. But psychologists have reasons to believe that victims of same-sex intimate partner violence think they deserve the violence because of some internalized negative beliefs that they themselves harbor. According to Dr Rose, about 17% to 45% of lesbians report having been subject to at least one act of physical violence perpetrated by a lesbian partner.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence also recognizes that 43.8% of lesbian women and 61.1% of bisexual women have experienced rape, physical violence and stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lives, in contrast to 35% of heterosexual women. A study (mostly comprising white, middle-class lesbians open about their sexual orientation) highlights that the common types of physical abuse reported by 10% of participants included disruption in eating and sleeping habits, pushing, shoving, reckless driving as punishments, slapping, biting, etc. Fifty percent of lesbian women revealed that they have been sexually abused by a woman partner. Twenty-four to 90% of lesbian women have also said that they have been subject to psychological abuse at least once.
The reasons for domestic abuse have been examined on psychological grounds and multiple factors have shown to contribute include childhood abuse, mental illness, cultural norms, stress and the existence of power dynamics in a relationship. Lesbian women abuse women for reasons similar to those that motivate heterosexual partners. One of the main incentives is to gain and maintain control over the partner. Lesbian batterers are influenced by the idea that they need to avoid feelings of loss and abandonment, resulting in many of the violent altercations occurring if the relationship is threatened by separation. Many of the partners that inflict violence also grew up in violent households and were either victims of physical, sexual and verbal abuse or witnessed their mother being abused by their male partners.
Meanwhile, because domestic violence is still increasingly viewed as a heterosexual problem, there can be major hurdles when trying to find funding to conduct research. In addition, it may also become an obstacle in providing services to people who don't fit in the stereotype of a domestic violence survivor. Although the cycle of violence occurs in both lesbian and heterosexual relationships, there are several similarities as well as differences between the two. In lesbian relationships, the mannified partner or often the one who is more masculine, physically stronger, earns more, etc, is as likely to be the victim as the batterer, unlike in heterosexual relationships where the abuse is usually meted out by the male partner. Some women in same-sex relationships have reported fighting back against the abuse.
Another unique factor to take into consideration is the homophobic environment that surrounds them. Dr Rose says this gives them the abusive partner the upper hand in exerting a "heterosexist control" over the victim by threatening to "out" the victim to friends, family, employer or even threatening to make reports to authorities that could jeopardize child custody, immigration or legal status. Furthermore, the homophobic environment also adds to the victim's reluctance in seeking help from the authorities, victims' service agencies and domestic violence shelters.
With the legalization of same-sex marriages and LGBTQ rights, states have put in place regulations that law enforcement must abide by in order to cater to the issues plaguing the queer community. In some states, police are mandated to treat cases of intimate partner violence among same-sex couples, in the same way as they do with heterosexual cases. Many states also have de rigueur laws that require law enforcement to arrest the batterer in certain situations and is applicable to lesbian as well as heterosexual abusers alike. Perpetrators of abuse can be prosecuted in criminal court, while survivors can apply for an order of protection where a court order probits the abuser from contacting or approaching the victim.
The Violence Against Women Act, passed in 1994, provides support for organizations that serve victims of intimate partner violence. In May 2013, it was re-authorized by President Barack Obama. While it still largely focuses on women in heterosexual relationships, a new section also covers same-sex partners. Although the response to LGBTQ victims of violence has been improving, the community is still prone to ineffective and victimizing legal responses. Forty-five percent of victims do not report the violence they experience because of the pre-existing belief that the authorities will not help them. Lesbian victims of intimate partner violence may also be denied assistance and domestic violence services due to homophobia.
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