Survey on Same-Sex IPV

This piece provides a great analysis of same-sex violence in one area of the country. The survey was conducted systematically via a questionnaire that was distributed to people who had experienced or knew someone who experienced same-sex partner abuse.

The survey results were categorized under 4 main areas:

1: attitudes and beliefs about same-sex partner abuse

2: prevalence of behavior in intimate same-sex relationships

3: experiences in the most recent same-sex intimate relationship

4: open-ended comments

As evidenced by the wide range of information, this was a pretty comprehensive examination of the population. Some of the findings are included below; a full report can be accessed via the internet.

Findings

Attitudes and Beliefs about Same-Sex IPV

1: 80% agreed that same-sex intimate partner violence goes unreported due to fear of “outing”

2: 70% agreed that same-sex intimate partner violence is a problem in the GLBT community

3: 67% disagreed that police are sensitive to partner abuse

4: 64% felt domestic violence agencies primarily serve straight women

The most prevalent abusive behaviors were as follows

Yelling (80%), derogatory names (60%), threatening eye contact (59%), throwing things (45%), pushing (41%)

Citation: Survey on Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence Abuse in Santa Clara County

Prepared by Dr. Donald L. Coan – Survey Research Consulting