Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to enhance the understanding of bisexual intimate partner violence (IPV) as a distinct phenomenon within the field of partner violence. While bisexual IPV has many similarities to heterosexual and same-sex partner abuse, this chapter recommends focusing on the nuances that exist within the differences. For a marginalized sexuality, it is hoped that such an approach will enable bisexual people to better recognize their abusive situation and enhance the development of more bi-appropriate support. The societal context, prevalence rates, theoretical models, and intersectionality of IPV will be considered and critiqued through a bisexual lens. As the evidence based on bisexual IPV is in its infancy, this chapter will draw upon international research and literature to provide a cohesive overview of the phenomenon. In adopting this approach, it is important to acknowledge the differing sociopolitical, legal, cultural, and economic differences that exist between nations. Due to the unique complexities a minority population may experience in any one country, cross-cultural comparisons need to be made with caution (Gadd et al. 2002; Head and Milton 2012; Sinfield 1997). The objective of this review is that the information provided will help inform, develop, and create affirmative practice and support for bisexual people who experience IPV.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aldridge, D., & Somerville, C. (2014). Your services your say: LGBT people’s experiences of public services in Scotland. Edinburgh, UK: Stonewall Scotland.
American Psychological Association (APA). (2011). Practice guidelines for LGB clients: Guidelines for psychological practice with lesbian. Gay and Bisexual Clients. American Psychologist, 67(1), 10–42. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024659.
Archer, J. (1994). Power and male violence. In J. Archer (Ed.), Male violence (pp. 310–332). New York, NY: Routledge.
Arnocky, S., & Vaillancourt, T. (2014). Sex differences in response to victimization by an intimate partner: More stigmatization and less help-seeking among males. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 23, 705–724. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2014.933465.
Balsam, K. F., & Szymanski, D. M. (2005). Relationship quality and domestic violence in women’s same-sex relationships: The role of minority stress. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29(3), 258–269. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2005.00220.x.
Baly, A. R. (2010). Leaving abusive relationships: Constructions of self and situation by abused women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25, 2297–2315. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260509354885.
Barker, M., Richards, C., Jones, R., Bowes-Catton, H., Plowman, T., Yockney, J., & Morgan, M. (2012). The bi-sexuality report: Bisexual inclusion in LGBT equality and diversity. Milton Keynes, UK: Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance, Faculty of Health and Social Care.
Barrett, B. J., & St. Pierre, M. (2013). Intimate partner violence reported by lesbian-, gay-, and bisexual-identified individuals living in Canada: An exploration of within-group variations. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 25(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2013.751887.
Bartholomew, K., Regan, K. V., Oram, D., & White, M. A. (2008). Correlates of partner abuse in male same-sex relationships. Violence and Victims, 23(3), 344–360. https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.23.3.344.
Bermea, A. M., van Eeden-Moorefield, B., & Khaw, L. (2018). A systematic review of research on intimate partner violence among bisexual women. Journal of Bisexuality, 18(4), 399–424. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2018.1482485.
Black, M. C., Basile, K. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., et al. (2011). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey (NISVS): 2010 summary report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bornstein, D. R., Fawcett, J., Sullivan, M., Senturia, K. D., & Shiu-Thorton, S. (2006). Understanding the experiences of lesbian, bisexual and trans survivors of domestic violence: A qualitative study. Journal of Homosexuality, 51(1), 159–181. https://doi.org/10.1300/J082v51n01_08.
Bostwick, W., & Hequembourg, A. (2014). ‘Just a little hint’: Bisexual-specific microaggressions and their connection to epistemic injustices. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 16, 488–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2014.889754.
Bradlow, J., Bartram, F., Guasp, A., & Jadva, V. (2017). School report: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bi and trans young people in Britain’s schools in 2017. Edinburgh, UK: Stonewall Scotland.
Briones-Robinson, R., Powers, R. A., & Socia, K. M. (2016). Sexual orientation bias crimes: Examination of reporting, perception of police bias, and differential police response. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 43, 1688–1709. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854816660583.
British Psychological Society (BPS). (2019). Guidelines for psychologists working with gender, sexuality and relationship diversity. Retrieved from: https://www.bps.org.uk/sites/bps.org.uk/files/Policy/Policy%20-%20Files/Guidelines%20for%20psychologists%20working%20with%20gender%2C%20sexuality%20and%20relationship%20diversity.pdf.
Browne, K., & Law, A. (2007). Domestic violence & abuse–additional findings report December 2007. Brighton, UK: Count Me In Too, LGBT Lives in Brighton & Hove.
Cannon, C., & Buttell, F. (2015). Illusion of inclusion: The failure of the gender paradigm to account for IPV in LGBT relationships. Partner Abuse, 6(1), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.1891/1946-6560.6.1.65.
Cannon, C., Hamel, J., Buttell, F., & Ferreira, R. J. (2016). A survey of domestic violence perpetrator programs in the United States and Canada: Findings and implications for policy and intervention. Partner Abuse, 7(3), 226–276. https://doi.org/10.1891/1946-6560.7.3.226.
Carlton, J. M., Cattaneo, L. B., & Gebhard, K. T. (2016). Barriers to help seeking for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer survivors of intimate partner violence. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17, 585–600. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015585318.
Dank, M., Lachman, P., Zweig, J. M., & Yahner, J. (2014). Dating violence experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43, 846–857. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9975-8.
Dollimore, J. (1997). Bisexuality. In A. Medhurst & S. Munt (Eds.), Lesbian and gay studies: A critical introduction (pp. 250–260). London, UK: Continuum International.
Duke, A., & Davidson, M. M. (2009). Same-sex intimate partner violence: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual affirmative outreach and advocacy. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 18, 795–816. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926770903291787.
Edwards, K. M., & Sylaska, K. M. (2013). The perpetration of intimate partner violence among LGBTQ college youth: The role of minority stress. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 1721–1731. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9880-6.
Edwards, K. M., Sylaska, K. M., & Neal, A. M. (2015). Intimate partner violence among sexual minority populations: A critical review of the literature and agenda for future research. Psychology of Violence, 5(2), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038656.
Edwards, K. M., Storey, R. C., & Glozier, K. (2019). Primary of prevention of intimate partner violence among sexual and gender minorities. In B. Russell (Ed.), Gender and sexual orientation: Understanding power dynamics in intimate partner violence (pp. 161–176). New York: Springer.
Erickson-Schroth, L., & Mitchell, J. (2009). Queering queer theory, or why bisexuality matters. Journal of Bisexuality, 9(3–4), 297–315. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299710903316596.
Festinger, L. (1962). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
FORGE. (2013). Trans-specific power and control tactics. Retrieved from http://forge-forward.org/wp-content/docs/power-control-tactics-categories_FINAL.pdf.
Freedner, N., Freed, L. H., Yang, Y. W., & Austin, S. B. (2002). Dating violence among gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents: Results from a community survey. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31, 469–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(02)00407-X.
Fricker, M. (2007). Epistemic injustice: Power & the ethics of knowing. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Furman, E., Barata, P., Wilson, C., & Fante-Coleman, T. (2017). “It’s a gap in awareness”: Exploring service provision for LGBTQ2S survivors of intimate partner abuse in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 29(4), 362–377. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2017.1365672.
Gadd, D., Farrall, S., Dallimore, D., & Lombard, N. (2002). Domestic abuse against men in Scotland. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive Central Research Unit.
Galupo, M. P., Ramirez, J. L., & Pulice-Farrow, L. (2017). “Regardless of their gender”: Descriptions of sexual identity among bisexual, pansexual, and queer identified individuals. Journal of Bisexuality, 17(1), 108–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2016.1228491.
Gates, G. J. (2011). How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender?. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute.
Goldberg, N. G., & Meyer, I. H. (2013). Sexual orientation disparities in history of intimate partner violence: Results from the California Health Interview Survey. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 28, 1109–1118. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260512459384.
Government Equalities Office. (2018). National LGBT survey. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/722314/GEO-LGBT-Survey-Report.pdf.
Halpern, C. T., Young, M. L., Waller, M. A., Martin, S. L., & Kupper, L. L. (2004). Prevalence of partner violence in same-sex romantic and sexual relationships in a national sample of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 35(2), 124–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2003.09.003.
Hamel, J., & Russell, B. L. (2013). The partner abuse state of knowledge project: The implications for law enforcement responses to domestic violence. In B. L. Russell (Ed.), Perceptions of female offenders: How stereotypes and social norms affect criminal justice response (pp. 151–179). New York, NY: Springer.
Head, S., & Milton, M. (2012). Intimate partner violence within the LGBT community: What is the UK situation? Psychology of Sexualities Review, 3(1), 71–88.
Head, S., & Milton, M. (2014). Filling the silence: Exploring the bisexual experience of intimate partner abuse. Journal of Bisexuality, 14(2), 277–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2014.903218.
Heintz, A. J., & Melendez, R. M. (2006). Intimate partner violence and HIV/STD risk among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(2), 193–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260505282104.
Hendricks, M. L., & Testa, R. L. (2012). A conceptual framework for clinical work with transgender and gender nonconforming clients: An adaptation of the Minority Stress Model. Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 43, 460–467. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029597.
Hill, J. M. (2000). The effects of sexual orientation in the courtroom: A double standard. Journal of Homosexuality, 39(2), 93–111. https://doi.org/10.1300/J082v39n02_05.
Hillman, J. (2019). Intimate partner violence among older LGBT adults: Unique risk factors, issues in reporting and treatment, and recommendations for research, practice, and policy. In B. Russell (Ed.), Gender and sexual orientation: Understanding power dynamics in intimate partner violence. New York: Springer.
Hipwell, A. E., Stepp, S. D., Keenan, K., Allen, A., Hoffman, A., Rottingen, L., et al. (2013). Examining links between sexual risk behaviors and dating violence involvement as a function of sexual orientation. Journal of Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology, 26(4), 212–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2013.03.002.
Home Office. (2005). The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. National Offender Management Service, Criminal Law Policy Unit. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-domestic-violence-crime-and-victims-act-2004.
House of Commons. (2016). Transgender equality: First report of session 2015–16 (HC 2015-2016 (390)). London, UK: Stationary Office.
Hughes, T., McCabe, S. E., Wilsnack, S. C., West, B. T., & Boyd, C. J. (2010). Victimization and substance use disorders in a national sample of heterosexual and sexual minority women and men. Addiction, 105, 2130–2140. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03088.x.
Hunt, R., & Fish, J. (2008). Prescription for change: Lesbian and bisexual women’s health check 2008. Edinburgh, UK: Stonewall Scotland.
Jones, C. A., & Raghavan, C. (2012). Sexual orientation, social support networks, and dating violence in an ethnically diverse group of college students. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 24(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2011.611107.
Kelly, B. C., Izienicki, H., Bimbi, D. S., & Parsons, J. T. (2011). The intersection of mutual partner violence and substance use among urban gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Deviant Behavior, 32(5), 379–404. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639621003800158.
Kenny, C., & Patel, D. (2017). Norms and reform: Legalizing homosexuality improves attitudes. Washington, DC: Center for Global Development.
Kernsmith, P., & Kernsmith, K. (2009). Treating female perpetrators: State standards for batterer intervention services. Social Work, 54(4), 341–349. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/54.4.341.
Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J., Misra, T. A., Selwyn, C., & Rohling, M. L. (2012). Rates of bidirectional versus unidirectional intimate partner violence across samples, sexual orientations, and race/ethnicities: A comprehensive review. Partner Abuse, 3(2), 199–230. https://doi.org/10.1891/1946-6560.3.2.199.
Mallory, C., Hasenbush, A., & Sears, B. (2015). Discrimination and harassment by law enforcement officers in the LGBT community. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute.
McKenry, P. C., Serovich, J. M., Mason, T. L., & Mosak, K. (2006). Perpetration of gay and lesbian partner violence: A disempowerment perspective. Journal of Family Violence, 21(4), 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-006-9020-8.
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674.
Messinger, A. M. (2011). Invisible victims: Same-sex IPV in the national violence against women survey. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26, 2228–2243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260510383023.
Modi, M. N., Palmer, S., & Armstrong, A. (2014). The role of Violence Against Women Act in addressing intimate partner violence: A public health issue. Journal of Women’s Health, 23(3), 253–259. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2013.4387.
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. (2010). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer domestic/intimate partner violence in the United States in 2009. Retrieved from https://avp.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/04/2009_NCAVP_IPV_Report.pdf.
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). (2016). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected intimate partner abuse in 2015: A report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. New York, NY: Emily Waters.
Newport, F. (2018, May 22). In the U.S., estimate of LGBT population rises to 4.5%. Gallup. Retrieved from http://news.gallup.com/.
Office for National Statistics. (2019). Sexual orientation, UK: 2017–experimental statistics on sexual orientation in the UK in 2017 by region, sex, age, marital status, ethnicity and socio-economic classification (Statistical Bulletin). Newport, UK: UK Statistics Authority.
Pantalone, D. W., Schneider, K. L., Valentine, S. E., & Simoni, J. M. (2012). Investigating partner abuse among HIV-positive men who have sex with men. AIDS and Behavior, 16, 1031–1043. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-0011-2.
Park, A., & Rhead, R. (2013). British Social Attitudes Survey 30: Personal relationships; Homosexuality. Retrieved from https://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/latest-report/british-social-attitudes-30/personal-relationships/homosexuality.aspx.
Pew Research Center. (2013). A survey of LGBT Americans: Attitudes, experiences and values in changing times. Retrieved from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/06/SDT_LGBT-Americans_06-2013.pdf.
Plitcha, S. B. (2018). Translating research to practice for sexual minority youth affected by intimate partner violence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62, 647–648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.03.006.
Potoczniak, M. J., Murot, J. E., Crosbie-Burnett, M., & Potoczniak, D. J. (2003). Legal and psychological perspectives on same-sex domestic violence: A multisystemic approach. Journal of Family Psychology, 17(2), 252–259. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.17.2.252.
Renzetti, C. M. (1992). Violent betrayal: Partner abuse in lesbian relationships. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Reuter, T. R., Newcomb, M. E., Whitton, S. W., & Mustanski, B. (2017). Intimate partner violence victimization in LGBT young adults: Demographic differences and associations with health behaviors. Psychology of Violence, 7(1), 101–109. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000031.
Rodriguez, M., Valentine, J. M., Son, J. B., & Muhammad, M. (2009). Intimate partner violence and barriers to mental health for ethnically diverse populations of women. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 10(4), 358–374. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838009339756.
Roe & Jagodinsky. (1995). Lesbian/gay power and control wheel. Austin, TX: National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence. Retrieved from http://www.ncdsv.org/images/Lesbian-GayPCwheelNOSHADING.pdf.
Rollè, L., Giardina, G., Caldarera, A. M., Gerino, E., & Brustia, P. (2018). When intimate partner violence meets same-sex couples: A review of same-sex partner violence. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01506.
Russell, B. (2018). Police perceptions in intimate partner violence cases: The influence of gender and sexual orientation. Journal of Crime and Justice, 41(2), 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2017.1282378.
Russell, B., & Sturgeon, J. A. (2018). Police evaluations of intimate partner violence in heterosexual and same-sex relationships: Do experience and training play a role? Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 34(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-018-9279-8.
Ryan, C., Russell, S. T., Huebner, D., Diaz, R., & Sanchez, J. (2010). Family acceptance in adolescence and the health of LGBT young adults. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 23(4), 205–213. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6171.2010.00246.x.
Saewyc, E. M. (2011). Research on adolescent sexual orientation: Development, health disparities, stigma and resilience. Journal of Adolescent Research, 21(1), 256–272. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00727.x.
SafeLives. (2018). Free to be safe: LGBT + people experiencing domestic abuse (Spotlight Series Report). Retrieved from http://safelives.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Free%20to%20be%20safe%20web.pdf.
Sekoni, A. O., Gale, N. K., Manga-Atangana, B., Bhadhuri, A., & Jolly, K. (2017). The effects of educational curricula and training on LGBT-specific health issues for healthcare students and professionals: A mixed-method systematic review. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 20, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.7448/IAS.20.1.21624.
Shorey, R. C., Fite, P. J., Cohen, J. R., Stuart, G. L., & Temple, J. R. (2017). The stability of intimate partner violence perpetration from adolescence to emerging adulthood in sexual minorities. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62, 747–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.11.307.
Sinfield, A. (1997). Identity and subculture. In A. Medhurst & S. Munt (Eds.), Lesbian and gay studies: A critical introduction (pp. 201–214). London, UK: Continuum International.
Smith, K., & Miles, C. (2017). Nowhere to turn: Findings from the first year of the No Woman Turned Away Project. Bristol, UK: Women’s Aid Federation of England.
Stephenson, R., Hall, C. D., Williams, W., Sato, K., & Finneran, C. (2013). Towards the development of an intimate parter violence screening tool for gay and bisexual men. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 14(4), 391–400. https://doi.org/10.5811/westjem.3.2013.15597.
Troutman, O., & Packer-Williams, C. (2014). Moving beyond CACREP standards: Training counselors to work competently with LGBT clients. The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 6(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.7729/61.1088.
Turell, S. C. (2000). A descriptive analysis of same-sex relationship violence for a diverse sample. Journal of Family Violence, 15(3), 281–293. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007505619577.
Turell, S. C., & Cornell-Swanson, L. V. (2005). Not all alike: Within-group differences in seeking help for same-sex relationship abuses. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 18(1), 71–88. https://doi.org/10.1300/J041v18n01_06.
Turell, S. C., & Herrmann, M. M. (2008). “Family” support for family violence: Exploring community support systems for lesbian and bisexual women who have experienced abuse. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 12(2–3), 207–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/10894160802161372.
Turell, S., Herrmann, M., Hollander, G., & Galletly, C. (2012). Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities’ readiness for intimate partner violence precention. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 24(3), 289–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2012.697797.
Valentine, S. E., & Pantalone, D. W. (2013). Correlates of perceptual and behavioral definitions of abuse in HIV-positive sexual minority men. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5, 417–425. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029094.
Varney, J., & Newton, E. (2018). Improving the health and wellbeing of lesbian and bisexual women and other women who have sex with women. London, UK: Public Health England.
Walters, M. L., Chen J., & Breiding, M. J. (2013). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey (NISVS): 2010 findings on victimization by sexual orientation. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
West, C. M. (2012). Partner abuse in ethnic minority and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans- gender populations. Partner Abuse, 3(3), 336–357. https://doi.org/10.1891/1946-6560.3.3.336.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Head, S. (2020). Understanding Power Dynamics in Bisexual Intimate Partner Violence: Looking in the Gap. In: Russell, B. (eds) Intimate Partner Violence and the LGBT+ Community. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44762-5_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44762-5_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-44761-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-44762-5
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)