TERM PAPER 308

docx

School

CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

308

Subject

Sociology

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by DeanSandpiperMaster828

Intimate partner violence in same-sex couples: Does it happen more often or is it under reported? Taycha Dejesus SOC 308 Sociology of Violence John Jay College of Criminal Justice 11/27/2022 1

The cycle of abuse can seem like a circle sometimes. Usually, when someone is a victim of abuse, they tend to also abuse those around them as oftentimes, they don’t know anything else. Domestic violence is a major issue in the US and around the world. Every year, more than 10 million people, men, and women are subjected to bouts of violence from their partners. Now referred to as Intimate partner violence (IPV)— as behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm, including acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse, and controlling behaviors. (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022.) One of the biggest questions one would ask is, why would someone want to harm closest to them? IPV is a complicated, multi-faceted issue that encompasses many aspects and challenges. One of those challenges is how IPV affects the same-sex couple. There has always been this belief that same-sex couples don’t experience IPV at the same level as heterosexual couples do. With this research paper, I plan to highlight the difference in IPV between same-sex couples vs heterosexual couples and how they are reported. I will define the causes and effects of IPV in same-sex couples by looking at different sociological theories like conflict theory and social learning theory. Social learning theory will be used to examine the basis of learned behavior, specifically early exposure to violence, and how the behaviors observed by an individual may later become imitated in one’s relationships. Strain theory will also be used to examine the need for power and control within a relationship and how power dynamics change a relationship. Every day, LGBTQAI faces an increase in violence and that includes intimate partners. A 2013 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, revealed high rates of intimate partner violence among the LGBTQIA community. Also, according to the CDC, bisexual women also report a particularly high number of sexual violence at rates twice as high as their heterosexual 2

counterparts at 61 percent (CDC, 2013) as well as lesbian and gay men, who have a higher chance of being victims of domestic violence with 48 percent (CDC, 2013.) In many cases, just like in heterosexual relationships, domestic violence claims usually go unreported for reasons such as discrimination or threats of outing to friends and families. Many also feel that this is something that doesn’t really happen in that community, especially when it’s happening amongst African Americans and people of color. (CDC, 2013) The way domestic violence is framed has created such a barrier for those that aren’t straight to be able to seek help. The domestic violence movement was originally started by straight, battered women and so we have always been led to believe that most of the victims are, straight, often married women. So, when the victims are gay or straight men being abused by a woman, for example, they are often not believed. The community is already marginalized so oftentimes, many victims fear that if they say anything, it might make the community look bad. It’s also important to note that oftentimes, these claims go unreported because historically, the LGBTQIA community doesn’t exactly have the best relationship with law enforcement. According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, (NCAVP) “data on the rates of same-sex partner abuse have only become available in recent years. Even today, many of the statistics and materials on domestic violence put out by organizations like the Center for Disease Control and the Department of Justice still focus exclusively on heterosexual relationships, specifically heterosexual women. While the CDC does provide some resources on its website for the LGBT population, most of the information is targeted at women. Materials provided by the CDC for violence prevention and survivor empowerment prominently feature women in their statistics and photographs.” One of the best things to do to fully understand IPV is by looking at the root causes or contributing factors. According to the CDC and the national institute of justice, the risk factors 3

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

are almost always linked to a bigger likelihood of IPV. It would be a combination of individual, societal or relational factors, and it’s important to understand and identify these causes for future prevention. It could be anything from low self-esteem to aggressive behavior as a youth and poor impulse control. Power dynamics also play a very important part in IPV as many abusers use tactics of abuse to control their partners and relationships. That power dynamic is essentially what became known as an understanding of how violence looks within relationships. (NCAVP, 2013) One of the age-old questions is if the person is experiencing IPV, why don’t they leave? Why stay if they are being abused? There are a variety of reasons why someone would stay in an abusive relationship. Such as fear of retaliation, lack of financial resources, no family support, or just wanting to believe that they will eventually change. (WHO, 2021) the effects are also long- lasting for the victims as many suffer from PTSD, depression, and anxiety. According to an article on americanprogress.org, published in June 2011, they highlighted the difference between heterosexual couples and IPV and homosexual couples and IVP. In a way, violence between couples that are opposite genders is considered “normal,” sort of speak. When a case of IPV is reported, 9 times out of 10, the police officer responding to it is expecting a male and female. The article states, “ Unfortunately, domestic violence victims in same-sex relationships are not receiving the help they need. This is due to the lack of legal recognition of same-sex relationships, law enforcement’s failure to identify and properly handle domestic violence cases involving people of the same sex, and the shortage of resources available to victims of same-sex partner domestic abuse.” There are many theories that could explain why relationships turn violent. One of those theories is the social learning theory. Social learning theory suggests that violence is a learned 4

behavior and can be triggered by stress, alcohol, abuse, or money. Made famous by Canadian American psychologist Albert Bandura, wrote that social learning theory is learning social behaviors by observing and imitating others. Meaning, abusers often learn about violence at an early age from their parents and how much they have an impact on their behaviors, attitudes, and relationships. IPV in early life can lead to a desensitization to violence, many don’t see what they have done as wrong or even abusive, just a way of life for them. Social learning theory in same- sex relationships would follow that same rubric. There are a lot of gay men who have had trouble coming out for fear of being ostracized or beaten for doing something “girly.” The internalized homophobia they feel can then manifest itself into a rage and it can cause the man to be abusive to their partner. For example, in a study conducted by the University of Michigan and Atlanta’s Emory University over 1,000 gay and bisexual men surveyed at gay venues in Atlanta were more likely to be both victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence if they rated high for internalized homophobia. When someone struggles with their own identity, it can really ruin a person’s self-esteem. Being told they are not normal or not wanted or that the person they love or the relationship they long for is not right and not normal, can cause a person to really cause a person to question who they are. (Stephenson, PhD & Finneran MPH, 2016) One of the reasons that social learning theory in the context of same-sex couples work is because like in most domestic violence situations, it is always about learned behavior. Oftentimes, an abuser usually comes from an abusive home themselves and these types of destructive behaviors are almost always learned in adolescents usually, there isn’t an outlet for that child to release any of that pent-up aggression, so they use their mates as targets for their frustrations. Through research, social learning theory heavily focuses on children, and it is important to take note of the roles that adults can play in their lives. The theory encourages 5

behavior through a lesson by using positive reinforcements, which can greatly affect the person. On the other hand, it’s not so cut and dry. Social learning theory says that we must interact together as a society and learn from each other but in doing my research, I realized that it focuses too much on interaction and not enough individualism. It also doesn’t get to the root of the actual issue and it’s that we cannot always blame it on learned behavior, it sometimes excludes cognitive issues. Not everyone that is surrounded by violence will eventually become violent. In terms of same-sex relationships, there is a very high chance that if the abuser comes from an abusive background, they will likely be abusive for factors that they feel are out of their control but then there are cases where that doesn’t happen. Another theory that could explain violence in relationships is strain theory. Strain theory is defined as when society puts pressure on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals, but they don’t have the means to do so this leads to them reacting negatively and lashing out and committing crimes to get what they need. Oftentimes, it isn’t always just about finances again, when the abuser feels as if they are losing some type of control, they will do anything to regain it. Strain theory, in respect of same-sex couples, the theory suggests that they use violence to cope with the lack of resources they possess. (ICJIA, 2019) in most cases, as I have pointed out before, it often stems from internalized homophobia. Many times, the abuser isn’t completely out of the closet and will envy the partner who is, and that envy could lead to IPV. For the abuser, it is much easier to take it out on the person closest to them than on society and the abuse will continue to go unreported. Strain theory within same-sex couples works because it examines just how much they are like heterosexual couples in the sense that they also feel societal pressure but on a much grander scale as many LGBTQIA still aren’t fully accepted. 6

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

In conclusion, it is no secret that IPV is a serious problem that only continues to grow but unfortunately, is largely ignored for various reasons, homophobia, the belief that gay people don’t abuse each other, especially lesbians as women are often seen and treated as the victim and not the aggressor. Prevention efforts are very important. Creating a self-environment for the victim, acknowledging the abuse, and making sure it doesn’t happen again. The CDC had created a few sources to help with IPV prevention, to help communities, especially gays and communities of color prevent IPV, to offer support to the ones that need it, etc. for example, teach safe and healthy relationship skills, creating protective environments and strengthening financial support for the families. 7

REFERENCES 20 alarming domestic violence statistics. Social Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.socialsolutions.com/blog/domestic-violence-statistics/ A report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://avp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ncavp_hvreport_2015_final.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Press release. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0125_nisvs.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, November 2). Risk and protective factors|intimate partner violence|violence prevention|injury Center|CDC. Centers for Disease 8

Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/riskprotectivefactors.html Causes and consequences of intimate partner violence. National Institute of Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/causes-and- consequences-intimate-partner-violence Director, M. C. A., Coleman, M., Director, A., Director, J. P. S., Parshall, J., Director, S., Gordon Director, P., Gordon, P., Director, Medina, C., Gruberg, S., Jarsulic, M., Bedekovics, G., McConville, D., & Olinsky, B. (2022, September 8). Domestic violence in the LGBT community. Center for American Progress. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/domestic-violence-in-the-lgbt-community/ Forth, A., Sezlik, S., Lee, S., Ritchie, M., Logan, J., & Ellingwood, H. (2021, October 6). Toxic relationships: The experiences and effects of psychopathy in romantic relationships. International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9527357/ Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. ICJIA. (2019, September 1). Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://icjia.illinois.gov/researchhub/articles/the-victim-offender- overlap-examining-the-relationship-between-victimization-and-offending 9

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Intimate partner violence - world health organization. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77432/WHO_RHR_12.36_eng.pdf;sequence=1 Murrell, A. R., Christoff, K. A. C. A., & Henning, K. (2007, August). Characteristics of domestic violence offenders: Associations with ... Characteristics of Domestic Violence Offenders: Associations with Childhood Exposure to Violence. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225746574_Characteristics_of_Domestic_Violence_Of fenders_Associations_with_Childhood_Exposure_to_Violence Shwayder, M. (2013, November 5). A same-sex domestic violence epidemic is silent. The Atlantic. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/11/a-same-sex-domestic-violence-epidemic-is- silent/281131/ Stephenson, PhD, R., & Finneran MPH , C. (2016, November 30). Minority stress and intimate partner violence among gay and bisexual ... Minority Stress and Intimate Partner Violence Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Atlanta. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1557988316677506 World Health Organization. (n.d.). Violence info – intimate partner violence. World Health Organization. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://apps.who.int/violence-info/intimate-partner-violence/ 10

TERM PAPER 308

Related Documents