Dyadic Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence Among Male Couples in Three U.S. Cities

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent and pressing public health concern that affects people of all gender and sexual identities. Though studies have identified that male couples may experience IPV at rates as high as or higher than women in heterosexual partnerships, the body of literature addressing this population is still nascent. This study recruited 160 male–male couples in Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago to independently complete individual surveys measuring demographic information, partner violence experience and perpetration, and individual and relationship characteristics that may shape the experience of violence. Forty-six percent of respondents reported experiencing IPV in the past year. Internalized homophobia significantly increased the risk for reporting experiencing, perpetrating, or both for any type of IPV. This study is the first to independently gather data on IPV from both members of male dyads and indicates an association between internalized homophobia and risk for IPV among male couples. The results highlight the unique experiences of IPV in male–male couples and call for further research and programmatic attention to address the exorbitant levels of IPV experienced within some of these partnerships.

Revisión sistemática sobre características metodológicas en el estudio de la violencia de pareja en hombres que tienen sexo con hombres

“…Ahora bien, la naturaleza transversal de las pesquisas pudo haberse debido a la dificultad de acceso a esta población; entre otras razones, por la estigmatización del fenómeno dentro de la propia comunidad LGBT (Barrientos et al, 2016). Por otra parte, se observó un incremento en el estudio de los aspectos asociados a la violencia, especialmente en el análisis de los factores que contribuyen a su presencia; en ese sentido, destacaron el abuso de sustancias, la discriminación homofóbica, la homofobia internalizada y el diagnóstico de VIH (Craft & Serovich, 2005;Davis et al, 2016;Duncan et al, 2018;Finneran et al, 2012;Finneran & Stephenson, 2014a, 2014bGreenwood et al, 2002;Oliffe et al, 2014;Semple et al, 2017;Stephenson & Finneran, 2017a;Suárez et al, 2018;Téllez & Walters, 2011;Woodyatt & Stephenson, 2016).…”

“…Dentro de las limitaciones de los estudios revisados, es preciso señalar que en algunos artículos el uso del término HSH incluyó únicamente a hombres gays o bisexua-les (Suárez et al, 2018), aunque también se utilizó como referente de hombres que no se identifican con ninguna de estas orientaciones (Duncan et al, 2018); esto es importante, pues puede inducir a confusiones en el uso de los términos, pero también en las interpretaciones derivadas de los datos obtenidos.…”

“…Suárez et al (2018) N/P B/N; In Gay: 89.7 % Otros: 10.3 % 160 parejas 19-67 años Nota: P = probabilístico, N/P = no probabilístico, A/P = a propósito, In = incidental, Al = aleatorio; B/N = bola de nieve, S/D = sin datos.…”

Romantic Attachment, Internalized Homonegativity, and Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Lesbian Women in Italy

“…Within this class of variables (i.e., SSIPV-specific risk factors), internalized homonegativity, which refers to negative affect and attitudes directed toward the self and one’s personal sexual orientation ( Meyer, 1995 , 2003 ), seem to take a main role in predicting IPV perpetration among sexual minorities. Several studies identified a positive association between levels of internalized homonegativity and SSIPV perpetration ( Balsam and Szymanski, 2005 ; Edwards and Sylaska, 2013 ; Suarez et al, 2018 ; Miltz et al, 2019 ). As reported by authors ( Byrne, 1996 ; Cruz and Firestone, 1998 ; Bartholomew et al, 2008 ) and drawing from a psychodynamic conception of violence ( Glasser, 1998 ; Fonagy, 1999 ; Asen and Fonagy, 2017 ; Yakeley, 2018 ), the internalization of the sexual stigma can entail a negative representation of the self and negative affect (e.g., shame, humiliation) which are experienced as unbearable and psychically threatening by the subject.…”

Psychometric validation of the identity abuse scale among LGBTQ individuals

“…Intimate partner violence (IPV), including emotional, physical, or sexual violence, is a pervasive and devastating problem that can affect people across any gender identity or sexual orientation (Suarez et al, 2018). Although most scholarship, to date, has explored IPV exposure among cisgender (nontransgender), heterosexual females (Finneran, & Stephenson, 2013; Kubicek, McNeeley, & Collins, 2015), mounting evidence suggests that LGBTQ individuals are at equal or even greater risk of IPV exposure relative to cisgender, heterosexual individuals (Dank, Lachman, Zweig, & Yahner, 2014; Edwards, Sylaska, & Neal, 2015; Stotzer, 2009).…”