New study finds high rates of domestic abuse among gay men in relationships
A new study from the American Journal of Men’s Health has found 46 percent of gay men in relationships have been abused by their partner, HealthDay News reports. The report, published in the July issue of the Journal surveyed 320 men in 160 couples.
Nearly half of all the couples reported abusive behaviour from their partner, including physical or sexual violence, emotional abuse, and controlling behaviour.
Rob Stephenson, director of University of Michigan’s Centre for Sexuality and Health Disparities, explains the results: “If you just looked at physical and sexual violence in male couples, it’s about 25 to 30 percent, roughly the same as women.
“We’re stuck in this mental representation of domestic violence as a female victim and a male perpetrator, and while that is very important, there are other forms of domestic violence in all types of relationships.”
The report notes that the contributing stress factors leading to domestic abuse in same-sex couples is similar to those faced by straight couples – such as drugs, financial issues, and unemployment – but same-sex couples have the added issue of internalised homophobia.
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