NCJ Number
153350
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Dated: special issue (Summer 1994) Pages: 95-106
Date Published
1994
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article demonstrates how same-sex male battering challenges contemporary feminist domestic violence theory; the author shows current theory to be heterosexist and therefore insufficient to explain the phenomenon of battering among gay and bisexual men.
Abstract
Domestic violence theories that integrate sociopolitical and psychological analyses of battering are presented as more inclusive of same-sex domestic violence. Differences between battered gay and bisexual men and battered women are illustrated; the focus is on how these men conceptualize and respond to violence against them. The author also examines the social context of homophobia in which same-sex battering occurs, the impact of AIDS on gay and bisexual men as it pertains to battering, the misconception of "mutual combat," and the difficulty of seeking help. He concludes that battered gay and bisexual men differ from battered women in how they respond to and conceptualize domestic violence, despite the similarity of abuse they experience. Often, men cannot see themselves as victims, even when their partners commit violence against them. The need to move away from the feminist sociopolitical analysis of violence and toward more integrated theories to explain domestic violence involving gay partners is emphasized, as well as the need for empirical research on same-sex male battering. 49 references