Perceptions of Contexts of Intimate Partner Violence Among Young, Partnered Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States

Abstract

There has been a growth in research illustrating that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at rates that are comparable to those among heterosexual women. However, the majority of research on IPV among same-sex male couples has focused on adults, and research on the experience of IPV among younger men (those aged under 18), remains at a nascent stage, despite knowledge that IPV is often common among younger men. This article adds to the growing body of literature on IPV among young GBMSM (YGBMSM) through of an analysis of qualitative data from in-depth interviews (IDI) with GBMSM aged 15–19 ( n = 30) in romantic relationships partnerships. The study sought to explore issues of relationship development, relationship contexts, and understandings of IPV. More than one-half of the sample reported experiencing some form of IPV in their current or past relationships. Participants described a range of experiences of IPV, including physical IPV, emotional IPV, sexual IPV, and controlling behaviors. Emotional IPV in the form of negative comments and controlling behaviors such as jealousy were the most commonly reported forms of violence behaviors. Although few participants reported experiencing physical or sexual IPV, several discussed concerns about giving, and partners’ acknowledging, sexual consent. Antecedents to IPV included wanting or feeling pressured to participate in normative development milestones, short-lived relationships, and societal stigma. Interventions that develop content on IPV and that reflect the lived realities of YGBMSM who are experiencing their first relationships are urgently needed. Study findings also support the need for training teachers, health care providers, and parents to identify signs of IPV and provide them with the knowledge and skills to talk to YGBMSM about relationships and violence to reduce IPV.

Sexual Relationship Violence Among Young, Partnered Sexual Minority Men in the United States

“…It is plausible that experiences and forms of IPV may be underreported, which necessitates future research to better understand and explicitly address experiences of IPV among YSMM. In particular, Stephenson et al (2021) found that YSMM often struggled with defining sexual IPV, and thus participants may be misreporting or underreporting IPV based on their definitions of what constitutes sexual violence. Participants were recruited online using convenience sampling methods, which has important implications for generalizability.…”

“…Tornello et al (2014) found that young sexual minority women were 3 to 6 times more likely than heterosexual female youth to experience sexual IPV in their relationships and there is emerging evidence that these disparities may also exist for sexual minority men (Kann et al, 2016;Walters et al, 2013). In a qualitative study with young, partnered sexual minority men from ages 15 to 19 years, Stephenson et al (2021) found that experiences of sexual IPV were described along with struggles around talking about sexual consent and establishing consent with sexual partners. Participants discussed feeling "uncomfortable" with their own or their partners' lack of verbal consent during sex and feeling coerced into unwanted sex.…”

Internalized Homonegativity, Emotion Dysregulation, and Isolating Behaviors Perpetration among Gay and Lesbian Couples

“…Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern affecting sexual minorities to the same extent as heterosexual people, if not even more [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Only in the past few decades researchers turned their attention to same-sex intimate partner violence (SSIPV; [ 4 ]). Nevertheless, IPV among same-sex couples remains poorly discussed on a public level and bias in media representations have been documented, which contribute to the poor understanding of the phenomena [ 5 , 6 ].…”

Domestic Violence Victimization Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China During the COVID-19 Lockdown

“…We also identified several correlates of DV victimization during the COVID-19 lockdown, including increased stress or anxiety level, increased alcohol use, housing instability due to COVID-19, and recent depressive symptoms. Stringent stay-at-home orders may have led to a syndemic of worsened mental health, increased substance use, and DV victimization ((Stephenson et al, 2021)). It is also concerning that participants experiencing DV victimization were more than twice as likely to become homeless or have to stay with friends or relatives during the pandemic than those without experiencing DV victimization.…”