Violence in lesbian and gay relationships: theory, prevalence, and correlational factors

Practices of Power and Abuse in Gay Male Relationships: An Exploratory Case Study of a Young, Isixhosa-Speaking Man in the Western Cape, South Africa

This article constitutes a single case study of snapshots of the life of a young, gay isiXhosa-speaking man, and his narrative on relationships. The case study is a part of a broader study exploring gay male relationships with a particular focus on the dynamics of control, power, and abuse. The broader literature on gay relationships, both internationally and locally, highlights the pervasiveness of heteropatriarchal stereotypical constructions in many gay relationships, believed to facilitate unequal power relations (as they do in heterosexual relationships), but also foregrounds a more ‘flexible’ approach to constructing masculinities and sexual roles among gay men. The article highlights the experience of performances of sexuality and relationship that mirror heterosexual traditional roles, with accompanying power inequalities, as well as a shift to alternative, more flexible and possibly more equitable relationships. It is also argued that homophobia, emerging in multiple sites and including internalised homophobia, plays a powerful role in the reproduction of inequality and abusive practices within gay male relationships. The article interrogates some of the local contexts of homophobia in contemporary South Africa and the way in which the participant's experiences, within and outside his relationships, reflect a corroding of self-confidence and sense of power. It also explores the challenges faced in constructing equitable intimate relationships within a society that still adheres to hegemonic practices of masculinity and heteronormative models of relation.

Gay Abuse Screening Protocol (GASP): screening for abuse in gay male relationships

Thirty-two male patients in gay relationships and eight family physicians were recruited from a family practice in order to determine comfort with an eight-question Gay Abuse Screening Protocol (GASP). The GASP was administered during a typical clinical encounter. After the encounter, physicians and patients each completed a 5-point Likert Scale questionnaire to assess their comfort levels with each of the 8 GASP questions (Likert Scale: 1 = not at all comfortable to 5 = very comfortable). The mean comfort score was high (Likert >4) for both patients (4.16 +/- 0.18) and physicians (4.71 +/- 0.18). However, mean comfort scores were significantly lower for abused patients (3.26 +/- 0.75) than nonabused patients (4.57 +/- 0.26). Patients were comfortable (Likert >3) with 76.2% of GASP items while physicians were comfortable with all GASP items.

Intimate partner abuse among gay and bisexual men: risk correlates and health outcomes

Little is known about the patterns and types of intimate partner abuse in same-sex male couples, and few studies have examined the psychosocial characteristics and health problems of gay and bisexual men who experience such abuse. Using a cross-sectional survey sample of 817 men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Chicago area, this study tested the effect of psychological and demographic factors generally associated with intimate partner abuse and examined their relationship to various health problems. Overall, 32.4% (n = 265) of participants reported any form of relationship abuse in a past or current relationship; 20.6% (n = 168) reported a history of verbal abuse ("threatened physically or sexually, publicly humiliated, or controlled"), 19.2% (n = 157) reported physical violence ("hit, kicked, shoved, burned, cut, or otherwise physically hurt"), and 18.5% (n = 151) reported unwanted sexual activity. Fifty-four percent (n = 144) of men reporting any history of abuse reported more than one form. Age and ethnic group were unrelated to reports of abuse. Depression and substance abuse were among the strongest correlates of intimate partner abuse. Men reporting recent unprotected anal sex were more likely to also report abuse, Wald (1, n = 773) = 9.02, p < .05, Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.61, Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.18-2.21. We discuss psychosocial issues faced by gay and bisexual men who experience intimate partner abuse as they may pertain to interventions among this group.

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.

Health care barriers and same-sex intimate partner violence: a review of the literature

Minority groups experience barriers to accessing and receiving health care. Sexual minorities, which include gay men and lesbians, have no specific defining physical characteristics and are not as easy to identify as other minority groups. Consequently, their unique health care disparities are frequently overlooked. Myths and facts regarding the common barriers to health care, including those specific to same sex intimate partner violence, are explored.

The prevalence of partner violence in a group of HIV-infected men

There is a paucity of literature regarding partner violence among males that identifies the sex and relationship of their partner(s). We studied a convenience sample of 54 HIV-infected men, recruited from HIV/AIDS service organizations. Using a standard questionnaire, we collected data on HIV risk behaviours and self-reports of acts of partner violence and forced sex. Physical violence perpetrated by a primary or a casual partner was reported by 39% and 17% of the sample, respectively. Life-time forced sex by a primary or casual partner was reported by 32% and 15% of the sample, respectively. Forced sex was more commonly reported by participants who were non-white and reported a higher number of primary partners in the previous 12 months. We recommend that health care providers be aware of the high rates of intimate partner violence among men infected or at risk of infection with HIV.

Family-of-origin factors and partner violence in the intimate relationships of gay men who are HIV positive

This exploratory study examined the prevalence of intimate partner violence in a sample of gay men who are HIV positive. The concept of intergenerational transmission of violence, from family systems theory, provided the basis of this examination. It was hypothesized that men who had witnessed or experienced violence in their families of origin would be more likely to perpetrate or experience violence in their intimate relationships. Perpetration and receipt of abuse were assessed to provide a more comprehensive examination of these relationships. The results of this study indicated that psychological abuse was the most commonly reported form of violence in these relationships. The results also provided partial support for the hypothesized relationship between family-of-origin violence and subsequent violence in an intimate relationship. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

Questioning and sexual minority adolescents: high school experiences of bullying, sexual harassment and physical abuse

Using a subset of youth from a sample of 3,636 Canadian adolescents, the present study examined sexual orientation and victimization experiences in high school. A total of 130 adolescents indicated they were gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning their sexual orientation. Significantly more adolescents identified as bisexual (N = 50) or questioning (N = 68) than as gay or lesbian (N = 12). Sexual-minority and questioning youth were more likely than heterosexual youth to be victims of bullying, peer sexual harassment, and peer or dating-partner physical abuse. Implications of victimization on questioning and sexual-minority adolescents' mental health are discussed.

Description of a domestic violence measure for Puerto Rican gay males

A sample of 302 Puerto Rican gay males living in Puerto Rico and New York participated in this study with the objective of assessing the prevalence of domestic violence. A self-administered questionnaire was developed addressing issues of intergenerational violence, addictive behaviors, and domestic violence in three dimensions: emotional, physical, and sexual violence. The results concluded that close to half of the participants had experienced some sort of violence in their intimate relationships, have a history of being witness to domestic violence in their family of origin, and had identified in themselves and their families, addictive behaviors. Other variables measured are HIV and sexual coercion, drug and alcohol abuse, and levels of acculturation among participants living in the United States. The main objective of this work is to describe the development of the instrument used in the study. Based on the results of this study we describe the psychometric characteristics and content of the final questionnaire. Final recommendations are made for other researchers interested in doing domestic violence studies with Latino gay men and men who have sex with men.

Domestic violence in Puerto Rican gay male couples: perceived prevalence, intergenerational violence, addictive behaviors, and conflict resolution skills

Domestic violence (DV) is a pattern of behaviors in the context of an intimate relationship, which can be manifested in emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. DV currently represents a social and a public health issue. This study is an effort to foster a better understanding of DV among same-sex couples. In it, the authors included the participation of 199 Puerto Rican gay males to identify prevalence of DV, violence in their family of origin, participants' addictive behaviors and exposure to violence at childhood, and their conflict resolution skills. Participants were relatively young, highly educated Puerto Rican gay men who reported a high level of domestic violence in their relationships. This violence was identified as emotional violence by 48% of the participants. This sample reported high levels of violence among their families of origin and low conflict resolution skills.

Physical violence, self rated health, and morbidity: is gender significant for victimisation?

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To analyse gender differences in associations between physical violence and self rated health and self reported morbidity among a random sample of adults in Denmark.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Two questions on self rated health and self reported morbidity respectively, were obtained from a cross sectional national health interview survey conducted among 12 028 adults (16 years +) in Denmark in 2000. A question on six different forms of physical violence was obtained from a supplementary self administered questionnaire given to the same sample. The reporting period for experienced physical violence was the past 12 months and for morbidity symptoms, the past 14 days.

MAIN RESULTS

Men aged 16-24 years were significantly more likely to have experienced violence than women (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 2.3 to 4.2). Female victims of physical violence were significantly more likely to rate their health as poor (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.41 to 2.89) and to report anxiety (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.35 to 3.37), depression (OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.55 to 3.60), and stomach ache (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.01 to 2.47) than female non-victims. Male victims of physical violence were only significantly more likely to report stomach ache (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.03 to 2.89) than male non-victims.

CONCLUSIONS

Associations between physical violence and poor self rated health and self reported morbidity were found to be significant for women, but not for men. It is probable that gender differences in experiences of violence, as well as gender differences in health related self perception, contribute to a gender specific process of victimisation. Improved knowledge about the relation between gender specific violence and victimisation as a gender specific consequence is essential for targeting violence prevention.

Demographic, psychosocial, and personality characteristics of lesbian batterers

Prevalence of domestic violence (DV) in lesbian and heterosexual relationships appears to be similar. Despite this, few studies have examined factors associated with DV in lesbian relationships, and even fewer have examined characteristics of lesbian batterers. Demographic and psychosocial characteristics and personality traits were examined in 100 lesbians in current relationships (33 Batterers and 67 Nonbatterers). Results indicated that Batterers were more likely to report childhood physical and sexual abuse and higher rates of alcohol problems. Results from the MCMI-III indicated that, after controlling for Debasement and Desirability indices, Batterers were more likely to report aggressive, antisocial, borderline, and paranoid personality traits, and higher alcohol-dependent, drug-dependent, and delusional clinical symptoms compared to Nonbatterers. These results provide support for social learning and psychopathology theoretical models of DV and clinical observations of lesbian batterers, and expand our current DV paradigms to include information about same-sex DV.

Legal and psychological perspectives on same-sex domestic violence: a multisystemic approach

This article presents the legal and psychological aspects of same-sex domestic violence (SSDV) in a multisystemic model that encompasses family systems, friends and the gay-lesbian-bisexual communities, legal systems, and mental and physical health systems, encouraging family psychologists to be the leaders of reform. The current status of relevant laws is integrated into the literature on SSDV, which includes prevalence, myths regarding SSDV, help-seeking behavior of victims, and similarities and differences between SSDV and opposite-sex domestic violence. Recommendations for change in all of the overlapping systems and in the public policies of the larger society are included.

Association of co-occurring psychosocial health problems and increased vulnerability to HIV/AIDS among urban men who have sex with men

OBJECTIVES

We measured the extent to which a set of psychosocial health problems have an additive effect on increasing HIV risk among men who have sex with men (MSM).

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional household probability telephone sample of MSM in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.

RESULTS

Psychosocial health problems are highly intercorrelated among urban MSM. Greater numbers of health problems are significantly and positively associated with high-risk sexual behavior and HIV infection.

CONCLUSIONS

AIDS prevention among MSM has overwhelmingly focused on sexual risk alone. Other health problems among MSM not only are important in their own right, but also may interact to increase HIV risk. HIV prevention might become more effective by addressing the broader health concerns of MSM while also focusing on sexual risks.

Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Experiences of Victimization: Mental Health, Revictimization, and Sexual Identity Development

SUMMARY The prevalence and correlates of a variety of victimization experiences among a large, ethnically diverse national sample of 2,431 lesbian, bisexual, and gay women (LBG) is examined. Most participants (62.3%) report experiencing bias related victimization because they are LBG. Overall, 30.8% of participants report being harshly beaten or physically abused in childhood and 21.2% in adulthood; 39.3% report sexual victimization before the age of sixteen and 36.2% at age sixteen or older. Each type of victimization was significantly related to current psychological distress, and the more types of victimization (sexual or physical, in childhood or adulthood) a participant experienced, the greater her psychological distress. Participants who were victimized in childhood were four times more likely to experience the same type of victimization (sexual or physical) as an adult and about twice as likely to experience the other type of victimization in adulthood. In addition, there were significant differences in history of victimization by race/ethnicity. Native American participants reported the highest rates followed by Latinas, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Whites.

Traumatic victimization in the lives of lesbian and bisexual women

SUMMARY This paper takes a contextual approach to understanding traumatic victimization experiences of lesbian and bisexual women over the life span. Expanding on feminist perspectives on violence against women, the concept of "cultural victimization" is used to explore the role of societal homophobia in shaping the experience of victimization for lesbian and bisexual women. An overview of the existing literature on the prevalence and impact of childhood abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and hate crimes among this population is provided. The relationship between sexual identity development and trauma is discussed. This article provides a framework for understanding lesbian and bisexual women's victimization, lends insight to clinicians working with lesbian/bisexual survivors, and provides direction for future research.

Battering victimization among a probability-based sample of men who have sex with men

OBJECTIVES

This study measured the prevalence of battering victimization (i.e., experience of psychological/symbolic, physical, and sexual battering) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and identified characteristics of these men.

METHODS

A probability-based sample of 2881 MSM living in 4 cities completed telephone interviews between 1996 and 1998.

RESULTS

Prevalence estimates were 34% for psychological/symbolic battering, 22% for physical battering, and 5% for sexual battering. The strongest demographic correlate independently associated with all forms of battering was age 40 or younger, whereas education and HIV serostatus were associated with physical and psychological/symbolic violence.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of battering victimization among urban MSM are substantially higher than among heterosexual men and possibly heterosexual women. Public health efforts directed toward addressing intimate partner battering among these men are needed.

Lesbian intimate partner violence

Abstract Researchers have been investigating partner violence for more than 20 years, yet there is a discernible absence of research on interpersonal violence among lesbian couples. Three aspects of lesbian battering are reviewed here. First, the incidence rates and distinct forms that lesbian battering might assume are discussed. Next, the dynamics and correlates of lesbian abuse are highlighted. The concluding section focuses on suggestions for intervention.

Lesbian health research: a review and recommendations for future research

Prior to 1990 lesbians were "invisible" in health care research. Researchers who asked questions specifically about lesbian health concerns were rare, and the burgeoning research on women's health seldom included variables that measured sexual orientation or behavior. In the last decade, however, lesbian health has emerged as a major area of study. A 1999 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on Lesbian Health has outlined the challenges and gaps in this area of research and has called for focus and funding on specific areas of need. In this article I review research on lesbian health, discuss methodological issues specific to this area of research, and summarize the recommendations of the IOM report.

Battering and HIV in men who have sex with men: a critique and synthesis of the literature

Recent empirical evidence demonstrates the relationship between HIV and battering victimization in men who have sex with men (MSM). Although there is an abundance of literature examining domestic violence among heterosexual couples, there is minimal empirical evidence regarding battering among same-sex male couples. To obtain an understanding of the current state of the science, this literature review provides a critique and synthesis of the identified battering and HIV literature in MSM. After an examination of the relationship between HIV and battering, the prevalence of battering in MSM from the literature is critically reviewed. To establish a framework for understanding battering in MSM, the identified correlates of battering for both the victim and the perpetrator are examined. This critique and synthesis concludes with implications for clinical nursing practice.

Physical and sexual abuse against women and children

There is an increasing awareness of physical and sexual abuse against women and children. However, standardization of research is needed in order to facilitate comparison among studies on abuse. Most of the research has focused on prevalence, incidence and causes of domestic violence, family violence, and physical and sexual abuse. There is also a need to evaluate the effect of different intervention programmes. It is important that the education system, the health sector and the judicial system are motivated to recognize that they have not only the opportunity, but also the responsibility to take action against physical and sexual abuse. A multidisciplinary and multiagency perspective is needed in approaching this issue. All of us, especially educators and clinicians, are in a position to address abuse, and ultimately to reduce violence in our society. Abuse is everyone's business.