Domestic violence in same-sex relationships

Domestic violence represents a major issue currently facing the GLBTI community, affecting one in three same-sex relationships. Despite a broad range of community and health support services, there remains a need for sustained empirical research on same-sex domestic violence (SSDV). This paper presents preliminary results from an ongoing study of SSDV in an Australian context. This study gathered quantitative data from a web-based survey that obtained information about individual respondents, their relationship history and their experiences of SSDV in both current and previous relationships. Respondents also completed a number of standardised inventories – the revised Conflict Tactics Scale, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Internalised Shame Scale. Results from this survey were analysed to determine the prevalence and patterns of abusive experiences within the sample. Preliminary results are consistent with existing data on the prevalence of SSDV, the complexity of power dynamics in same-sex relationships, and the need for the ongoing development of community-based support policies and services for victims. Implications for theoretical and methodological approaches to domestic violence are discussed.