Domestic Violence in LGBTQ Relationships and Art Therapy

Introduction to Domestic Violence and Same-Sex Relationships

Domestic violence is a serious problem throughout the world. The problem affects people in all segments of society regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or sexual orientation. Many studies concerning domestic violence focus on heterosexual couples; however, domestic violence also affects homosexual couples. This literature review examines trauma and same-sex domestic abuse within the GLBT community. It focuses on the definition of abuse in both the heterosexual and homosexual contexts, as well as the statistics and reasons why domestic violence occurs. The review also addresses the differences between the occurrence of domestic violence in straight and gay households, and concludes by exploring the use of art therapy in assisting those who have dealt with domestic violence.

According to the National Institutes of Health, domestic violence is defined as "a type of abuse. It involves injuring someone, usually a spouse or partner, but it can also be a parent, child, or other family member" ("Domestic Violence"). When this abuse occurs between married couples, it is known as spousal abuse. When violence occurs among those who are in a relationship but not married, it is referred to as partner abuse. In recent years it has also been referred to as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Because most states do not acknowledge gay marriage, for the purposes of this literature review such abuse will be referred to as partner abuse.

Theoretical Frameworks for Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence

Although both heterosexual and homosexual couples experience domestic violence, the psychology of the abuse is somewhat different because the partners are the same gender. For instance, according to McClennen (2005), the patriarchal theory of domestic violence is not applicable to same-sex couples. This theory asserts that domestic violence is a result of a culture's domination of men over women; as such, it cannot properly explain violence within the context of same-sex relationships.

Although the patriarchal theory is inadequate in explaining domestic violence among same-sex couples, other theories do provide some explanation. As McClennen (2005) notes, "Island and Letellier (1991) attributed partner abuse to perpetrators' personality disorders. Renzetti (1996) asserted the feminist theory, with its emphasis on sociopolitical oppression of at-risk populations, underlies same-gender IPV. Integrating the former two theories, Merrill (1996) proposed the social psychological theory attributing IPV between same-gender partners to oppression, learned behaviors, and individual choices." While the social-psychological theory can explain gay male IPV, it does little to explain the domestic violence that occurs among lesbian women. The author instead insists that the patriarchal social-psychological theory is more appropriate in explaining domestic violence between lesbians, since it incorporates the concept of patriarchy, which affects all women regardless of sexual orientation.

McClennen further explains that the theory of mutual battery is often applied to domestic violence situations involving same-sex couples. However, McClennen, Summers, and Vaughan (2002) found this belief to be inaccurate. Mutual battery is defined as equating "actions of self-defense against perpetrators' attacks" with "voluntary acts of engaging in physical fights" — that is, treating both parties as equally engaged fighters with no clear perpetrator. In reality, domestic violence between same-sex partners often has a clear perpetrator. Perpetrators are characterized by their intent and the manner in which they react after abuse has taken place. The perpetrator's intention is to instigate the violence and then blame the victim; following an abusive episode, the perpetrator also feels exhilarated. Victims, on the other hand, blame themselves and are typically emotionally drained after an incident. Although this pattern occurs in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, many do not view domestic violence in this light when it involves homosexuals. This misconception of mutual battery has hindered victims from receiving proper care and has prevented perpetrators from obtaining the counseling they require.

Some experts have suggested that, just as with heterosexual couples, one reason for domestic violence among homosexual couples is power imbalance. As McClennen (2005) explains, "Determining the composition of this imbalance is more challenging than with opposite-gender abuse where, historically, men have been imbued with power over women, and a differential in size results in women more often being harmed by the abuse." In lesbian relationships, power imbalance is associated with the perpetrator's lack of communication and social skills. This imbalance may also occur as a result of cycles of family violence — some lesbians are violent toward their partners because there was violence in their homes during childhood. There are also occasions when imbalance stems from internalized homophobia, substance abuse, and differences in social or economic status (McClennen, Summers, & Daley, 2002). In addition to power imbalance, other contributing factors include dependency and jealousy among lesbian couples (McClennen, Summers, & Daley, 2002).

For gay males, power imbalance as it pertains to domestic violence is more difficult to determine. Research has found that the primary reasons for domestic violence among gay men are jealousy, dependency, and sexual abuse. Possessiveness and struggles over independence are also factors. There is also some evidence of "perpetrators' lack of communication and social skills as well as intergenerational transmission of violence and HIV as contributing to gay male IPV" (McClennen, 2005).

Overall, there is still a great deal that is not known or understood about same-sex domestic violence. It is apparent that domestic violence among same-sex couples can be brought on by some of the same reasons that violence occurs among heterosexual couples; however, there are often additional elements unique to same-sex couples due to societal attitudes toward homosexuality. This lack of understanding greatly hampers efforts to address the problem, as professionals may be unaware of the differences involved in treating domestic violence when same-sex partners are concerned. As a result, abuse often goes unreported and people suffer in silence.

Prevalence of Domestic Violence in the Gay and Lesbian Community

Although domestic violence occurs among same-sex couples, the actual prevalence of such violence is more difficult to determine because many who suffer from abuse are unwilling to report it. Despite the challenge of gathering accurate statistics, existing research offers important estimates:

"Findings from existing research reveal many similarities between same-gender and opposite-gender IPV. The prevalence rate of approximately 25% to 35% of all partners experiencing IPV is comparable (Gunther & Jennings, 1999), thus of the 19 million same-gender couples (Island & Letellier, 1991), about 5.7 million report being either a victim or perpetrator of IPV. Also similar are the types of violence reported including sexual, physical, financial, and emotional abuse (Merrill & Wolfe, 2000; Renzetti, 1992). Common is the spiral of violence — the violence increasing in frequency and severity over time (Tully, 1999). Despite the similarities, IPV between lesbian and gay male partners differs in its theoretical underpinnings and is fraught with myths (McClennen, 2005)."

Because gay and lesbian individuals who are physically abused are less likely to report domestic violence than heterosexuals, the true prevalence of the problem is difficult to confirm. Nevertheless, the estimates above provide a meaningful picture of the scope of intimate partner violence in the homosexual community.

Conclusion

This literature review examined trauma and same-sex domestic abuse within the GLBT community. The research found that domestic violence is a serious issue in the gay and lesbian community. The review focused on the definition of abuse in both the heterosexual and homosexual worlds, and explored the differences between the occurrence of domestic violence in straight and gay households. While there are notable similarities between heterosexual and homosexual couples in the sphere of domestic violence, there are also unique issues that confront the gay and lesbian community as a result of society's view on homosexuality. Because homosexuality is viewed as outside of the norm, homosexuals dealing with domestic violence do not always receive the proper care.

The research suggests that it is relatively difficult to determine the true extent of domestic violence within the homosexual community, as members of the gay community are less likely to report such incidents. The review also found that art therapy can greatly assist victims of domestic violence, providing an important outlet for emotional expression and healing. Greater awareness, specialized resources, and culturally competent service delivery are needed to address domestic violence effectively among same-sex couples.

Works Cited

"About Art Therapy." American Art Therapy Association.

"Domestic Violence." National Institutes of Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/domesticviolence.html

McClennen, J.C. (2005). Domestic violence between same-gender partners. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20(2), 149–154.

McClennen, J.C., Summers, B., & Daley, J.G. (2002). Lesbian partner abuse scale. Research on Social Work Practice, 12(2), 277–292.

McClennen, J.C., Summers, B., & Vaughan, C. (2002). Gay men's domestic violence: Dynamics, help-seeking behaviors, and correlates. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 14(1), 23–49.

Panzer, P.G., Philip, M.B., and Hayward, R.A. (2000). Trends in domestic violence service and leadership: Implications for an integrated shelter model. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 27(5).

Toro-Alfonso, J., & Rodriguez-Madera, S. (2004). Domestic violence in Puerto Rican gay male couples. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19(6), 639–654.