______________________________________________________________ Understanding Domestic Violence
• Limited awareness and accessibility of supportive services may cause LGBTQ+ individuals to postpone or refrain from reporting instances of abuse due to a perceived lack of available support networks. • Difficulty in accessing LGBTQ+ specific or inclusive agencies and services, compounded by their scarcity and potential distance, exacerbates the challenge. This issue is particularly pronounced for transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming survivors who face the risk of rejection, mistreatment, or misgendering in shelters or services that segregate by sex. • Apprehension about encountering anti-LGBTQ+ stigma may deter reporting, stemming from previous negative encounters with healthcare providers, institutions, law enforcement, and the justice system. • Survivors may encounter discouraging experiences when reporting to authorities or healthcare providers, including being turned away, discriminated against, or having their complaints minimized or disregarded due to the same-sex nature of the relationship or the survivor’s LGBTQ+ identity. • Historical biases within the police and judicial system against LGBTQ+ individuals and same-sex couples contribute to heightened mistrust and reluctance to report, manifesting in increased risk of police brutality and reluctance to enforce protection orders. Additionally, providers and law enforcement personnel may hold stigmatizing attitudes toward LGBTQ+ individuals, further perpetuating distrust (Calton et al., 2016). Many LGBTQ+ IPV survivors face additional barriers to seeking help inherent to their LGBTQ+ identity, as the same systems of discrimination and stigma exploited by abusers can impede survivors from accessing assistance. For instance, fear of being forcibly outed before feeling safe or prepared may dissuade LGBTQ+ survivors from reporting abuse, mirroring the tactics used by abusers. Internalized stereotypes about gendered IPV scenarios may also induce shame or stress, hindering survivors from seeking help or disclosing abuse to friends and family. Moreover, LGBTQ+ individuals who do report abuse may face disbelief or dismissal, as their experiences may not align with stereotypical victim narratives (Brown & Cooper, 2021). SUPPORTING LGBTQ CLIENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE OVERVIEW Individuals grouped under the LGBTQ+ umbrella may have any or a combination of a variety of identities including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, pansexual, same gender loving, Two-Spirit, nonbinary, gender fluid, agender, and many others.
LGBTQ+ IPV survivors encounter heightened obstacles in accessing culturally competent services consistently. Without readily available identity-affirming support, intervention, and essential services, LGBTQ+ IPV survivors will persist in experiencing violence and enduring the negative repercussions of victimization (American Psychiatric Association, 2019). Epidemiology and Risk Factors of IPV in LGBTQ+ Communities LGBTQ+ people experience IPV at similar or higher rates as non-LGBTQ+ people. However, within the community, rates of violence vary significantly among specific groups (lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, transgender people, etc.), and even more so when viewing these groups through an intersectional lens (including race, ethnicity, social class, disability, etc.). The following statistics highlight the risk factors and rates of violence (Henry et al., 2021). • Transgender people are nearly twice as likely to experience IPV in public areas as people who do not identify as transgender. • Transgender people of color are 3.69 times more likely to experience IPV in public areas as people who do not identify as transgender people of color. • Bisexual people are more than twice as likely to experience sexual violence as nonbisexual people. • LGBTQ+ Black or African American survivors of IPV are nearly twice as likely to experience physical violence as those who do not identify as LGBTQ+ and Black or African American. • LGBTQ+ Black or African American survivors are 1.47 times more likely to be injured as a result of IPV than those who do not identify as LGBTQ+ and Black or African American. INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV) IN LGBTQ+ RELATIONSHIPS While certain aspects of IPV in LGBTQ+ relationships mirror those found in heterosexual and/or cisgender relationships— such as the manipulation of power dynamics and various forms of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or economic), along with tactics like isolation and privilege—there are unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ communities. One such challenge is the threat of “outing” the survivor’s sexual or gender identity as a means of abuse, which can serve as a significant barrier to seek- ing help and lead to the survivor’s isolation from family and other support networks. LGBTQ+ individuals often encounter multiple instances of discrimination and violence due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, a reality that can be even more pronounced for those belonging to racial/ethnic minor- ity groups or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. These forms of discrimination and bias contribute to elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and completed suicides among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals (American Psychiatric Association, 2019).
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