Intergenerational Transmission of Violence in Lesbian Relationships

Abstract

This study of 104 lesbians found that for the 46 respondents who reported abusive relationships, there were significant associations between experiences of abuse in their families of origin and the women's subsequent abusive lesbian relationships. Because shelters for abused women are unresponsive to the needs of lesbians, the women rarely used them. Therefore, one compelling implication of the study is that abused lesbians have a great need for safe environments with culturally sensitive workers, who could help them and their batterers confront and resolve their problems.

A Review of Research on Violence in Same-Gender Couples

“…In addition, a correlation with intergenerational transmission of domestic violence exists in both homosexual and heterosexual couples (Tjaden & Allison, 1999). Findings from Tjaden et al corroborated other studies in that participants who reported experiencing domestic violence in their romantic relationships were more likely to report forcible rape both in childhood and in later adulthood, physical violence in childhood from caretakers, and physical violence from all types of aggressors, including intimate partners (Farley, 1996;Merrill & Wolfe, 2000;Schilit et al, 1991;Wise & Bowman, 1997).…”

“…In addition to verbal abuse, various levels of physical violence also exist among lesbian couples as a means for resolving conflicts emerging from issues related both to power imbalances and to autonomy/fusion (Johnson & Ferraro, 2000;Schilit et al, 1991). According to Vickers (1996), lesbian domestic violence may involve "violence or coercion where one partner seeks to control the behaviors, beliefs, actions, thoughts, or conduct of the other" (cited in Tully, 2000, p. 164).…”

“…In relationships where one partner had a greater need for fusion than the other partner, higher levels of severe physical abuse were reported (Renzetti, 1988). In addition, lesbians reporting victimization in childhood were more likely to report physical violence in their relationships (Lockhart et al, 1994;Schilit et al, 1991).…”

“…For example, the fact that a woman was abused as a child does not increase her likelihood of becoming a batterer but does increase her chances of finding a partner who will batter her (Girshick, 2001;Lockhart et al, 1995). Other findings, however, have split this theory, correlating the likelihood of both roles with past victimization (Margolies & Leeder, 1995;Schilit et al, 1991).…”

“…Since the early 1970s an increasing effort to study the incidence of domestic violence has been made (Puzone, Saltzman, Kresnow, Thompson, & Mercy, 2000;Schilit, Lie, Bush, Montagne, & Reyes, 1991); however, the trend of awareness and study has mainly focused on heterosexual men as perpetrators and heterosexual women as the victims (Bachman & Coker, 1995;Dobash & Dobash, 1992;Dutton, 1995;Ellis & DeKeseredy, 1997;Heise, 1994;Johnson, 2000;Kurz, 1989;Saunders & Browne, 1991;Zorza, 1991). Conversely, a handful of studies examine and name heterosexual women as the abusers and their male partners the "abusees" (Marrujo & Kreger, 1996;Straus, 1980).…”