Intimacy: The perils of Intimate Partner Violence of Same Sex Couples
Problem: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is one of the most common forms of assault in the United States; it is a socially constructed phenomenon that has developed over time and reflects the interrelated range of power distribution and abuse.
Literature Review: Same-sex IPV is defined as the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse preceded by physical threat or force that occur between partners of the same-sex (Murray & Mobley, 2009, p.361). There has been an assemblage of psychosocial and demographic factors afflicting the cycle of abuse among same-sex couples. Individuals that identify as gay or lesbian have equal or higher lifetime prevalence of physical violence by any perpetrator when compared to self-identified heterosexuals ( Murray & Mobley, 2007, p. 9). Same gender partner violence occurs more …show more content…
Victims are more likely to have higher levels of stress, physical and emotional injury, and death, subjecting same-sex victims to a higher risk of injury, social stressors, and physical and psychological problems (Houston & McKirnan, 2007, p. 682). Although IPV focus has dominated studies on “heterosexual dyads,” recent research has suggested same-sex IPV has become a growing concern within same-sex relationships. Same-sex IPV has been shown to have prevalence rates ranging between 17% - 52% for same sex couples comparable to IPV in opposite sex couples (Carvalho, Lewis, Derlega, Winstead, & Viggiano, 2011, p. 501). Women are more than 1.5 times more likely to report physical and psychological abuse than their male counterparts, although gay men perpetuate IPV at higher rates and as victims
Problem: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is one of the most common forms of assault in the United States; it is a socially constructed phenomenon that has developed over time and reflects the interrelated range of power distribution and abuse.
Literature Review: Same-sex IPV is defined as the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse preceded by physical threat or force that occur between partners of the same-sex (Murray & Mobley, 2009, p.361). There has been an assemblage of psychosocial and demographic factors afflicting the cycle of abuse among same-sex couples. Individuals that identify as gay or lesbian have equal or higher lifetime prevalence of physical violence by any perpetrator when compared to self-identified heterosexuals ( Murray & Mobley, 2007, p. 9). Same gender partner violence occurs more …show more content…
Victims are more likely to have higher levels of stress, physical and emotional injury, and death, subjecting same-sex victims to a higher risk of injury, social stressors, and physical and psychological problems (Houston & McKirnan, 2007, p. 682). Although IPV focus has dominated studies on “heterosexual dyads,” recent research has suggested same-sex IPV has become a growing concern within same-sex relationships. Same-sex IPV has been shown to have prevalence rates ranging between 17% - 52% for same sex couples comparable to IPV in opposite sex couples (Carvalho, Lewis, Derlega, Winstead, & Viggiano, 2011, p. 501). Women are more than 1.5 times more likely to report physical and psychological abuse than their male counterparts, although gay men perpetuate IPV at higher rates and as victims