LETTING OUT THE SECRET - VIOLENCE IN LESBIAN RELATIONSHIPS

Over the past 2 decades, a variety of studies on domestic violence has confirmed that abuse is widespread. This increased attention to viole nce in intimate relationships has been focused on heterosexual couples , despite the assertion that 4-10% of the population is homosexual. Vi olence among lesbian couples has largely been ignored by family violen ce researchers, but clinical practitioners who are sought out by the b attered and/or the batterers for therapy are well aware of the extent and nature of the battering that takes place in these relationships, a nd that battering is not limited to heterosexual relationships. This e xploratory study takes a step toward an understanding of lesbian viole nce by examining the incidence, forms, and correlates of violence in l esbian relationships. Based upon the responses of 284 lesbians to a qu estionnaire, it was found that lesbian violence is not a rare phenomen on. This finding reflects the need for further research into this soci al problem in all intimate relationships, including homosexual relatio nships.