NCJ Number
225284
Date Published
2008
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This discussion of same-sex intimate-partner violence (IPV) reviews the historical recognition of wife abuse, the prevalence of same-sex IPV, distinctive dimensions of same-sex IPV, resistance to the recognition and response to same-sex IPV, and a new course of action for addressing this problem.
Abstract
There is significant empirical evidence that intimate-partner violence is widespread among same-sex couples. In addition, research has found that the abuse experienced by gays and lesbians is comparable to the violence that occurs within heterosexual intimate relationships. The abuse can be physical as well as emotional, ranging from verbal threats to violent assaults. Despite this evidence, however, researchers, legislators, criminal justice professionals, and society as a whole have been reluctant to acknowledge same-sex IPV. Among the reasons for the latter circumstance are reluctance among conservative groups to provide homosexuals with equal protection under the law, a narrow construction of domestic violence as being male violence against women, and the prevalent myth that gays and lesbians engage in mutual abuse. A new course of action requires that researchers and policymakers continue to move beyond a feminist interpretation of domestic violence as involving men’s abuse of women. Theories that focus on the role of power, control, and social learning have been advanced to explain domestic violence in contexts other than male on female aggression. It is also important that States modify existing domestic-violence statutes to extend protection and services to victims of same-sex IPV. The police response to same-sex IPV has also been deficient. Law enforcement training and education must sensitize police to the concerns of gay and lesbian victims of domestic violence. Prosecutors and judges must also receive training in the management of cases of same-sex IPV. 37 references