When Intimate Partner Violence Meets Same Sex Couples: A Review of Same Sex Intimate Partner Violence

Over the past few decades, the causes of and intervention for intimate partner violence (IPV) have been approached and studied. This paper presents a narrative review on IPV occurring in same sex couples, that is, same sex IPV (SSIPV). Despite the myth that IPV is exclusively an issue in heterosexual relationships, many studies have revealed the existence of IPV among lesbian and gay couples, and its incidence is comparable to (Turell, 2000) or higher than that among heterosexual couples (Messinger, 2011; Kelley et al., 2012). While similarities between heterosexual and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) IPV were found, unique features and dynamics were present in LGB IPV. Such features are mainly related to identification and treatment of SSIPV in the community and to the need of taking into consideration the role of sexual minority stressors. Our findings show there is a lack of studies that address LGB individuals involved in IPV; this is mostly due to the silence that has historically existed around violence in the LGB community, a silence built on fears and myths that have obstructed a public discussion on the phenomenon. We identified the main themes discussed in the published studies that we have reviewed here. The reviews lead us to the conclusion that it is essential to create a place where this subject can be freely discussed and approached, both by LGB and heterosexual people.

Female-Perpetrated Femicide and Attempted Femicide

Femicide, the homicide of women, is the seventh leading cause of premature death for women overall. Intimate partner (IP) homicide accounts for approximately 40% to 50% of U.S. femicides. The vast majority of IP femicides are perpetrated by male partners, with .05% of IP femicides in the U.S. perpetrated by female partners. Few studies have examined intimate partner violence (IPV) between female partners and no study (to the authors’ knowledge) has examined female-perpetrated IP femicide and attempted femicide in same-sex relationships. This case study examines IP femicide and attempted femicide among a small sample of women in same-sex relationships. The findings call attention to this important women’s health issue, expand our contextual understanding of violence in female same-sex relationships, and assist health care, law enforcement, judiciary, service, and advocacy professionals to develop prevention strategies and resources to reduce the risk of serious injury and death among women in same-sex relationships.

Researching domestic violence in same-sex relationships--a feminist epistemological approach to survey development

The article draws on recently completed research by the authors, involving a detailed study of love and intimate partner violence in same-sex and heterosexual relationships (funded by the ESRC, award RES-000-23-0650). The research, hitherto the most detailed study of its kind in the United Kingdom, included a national same-sex community survey (n = 800) plus four focus groups and interviews with 67 individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, queer, bisexual, transgender, or heterosexual. The article discusses in particular the development of the same-sex community survey, focusing on the epistemological and methodological implications of using a feminist approach.

The Influence of Gender Role Stereotyping on Women's Experiences of Female Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence

Female same-sex intimate partner violence (FSSIPV) is a serious problem that affects the health and safety of lesbian and bisexual women. To begin to address the paucity of research, a mixed methods study was conducted to identify shared and unique risk and protective factors for FSSIPV. This article reports on qualitative findings related to the influence of gender role stereotyping on women's experiences of FSSIPV. Findings indicate that gender role stereotyping shapes women's experiences of FSSIPV by influencing individual, familial, community, and societal perceptions and responses to this phenomenon.

A comparison of the police response to heterosexual versus same-sex intimate partner violence

It has been argued that the police do not respond to domestic calls involving same-sex couples in the same manner as they respond to calls involving heterosexual couples. A major problem facing researchers examining the police response to cases involving same-sex couples has been the lack of adequately sized samples. In this article, the authors utilize the 2000 National Incident Based Reporting System database, which contains 176,488 intimate partner assaults and intimidation incidents reported to 2,819 police departments in 19 states. The key issue examined is whether similar cases involving same-sex and heterosexual couples result in the same police response.

Improving Services for Lesbian Clients: What Do Domestic Violence Agencies Need to Do?

In her 2004 master's thesis Simpson identified that lesbian victims of domestic violence who are seeking services face systemic, institutional, and individual barriers. For this qualitative study, building on that work, we used in-depth interviews with six staff members who represented both a traditional domestic violence agency and a lesbian social service agency providing domestic violence services. The interviews revealed policy changes that might be made: institutional inclusion, assessment of language and literature, training and supervision, and institutional evaluation and quality assurance. These changes may improve the experiences of lesbian victims who are seeking services from domestic violence agencies. Each change, with specific examples provided, is discussed.