Perceptions of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence: The Influence of Sexual Minority Stigma and Childhood Exposure to Domestic Violence among Bisexual and Lesbian Women.

Sabrina Islam

doi:10.3390/ijerph18105356

Abstract

Sexual minority women (SMW; bisexual, lesbian) experience psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) disproportionately more than physical forms and have higher lifetime victimization rates than heterosexual women. This study presents an examination of perceptions of psychological IPV, sexual minority stigma, and childhood exposure to domestic violence among a sample of 183 SMW residing within the U.S. With an emphasis on group differences between bisexual and lesbian women, findings indicate that bisexual women evaluated vignettes depicting psychological IPV occurring among women in same-gender relationships with more negative sentiment than lesbian women. Significant associations between enacted and internalized forms of stigma and perceptions of psychological IPV also varied among bisexual and lesbian women. No significant relationships were found between perceived stigma and perceptions of IPV in either group. Furthermore, no moderation effects were detected for childhood exposure to domestic violence or sexual orientation in the relationship between sexual minority stigma and perceptions of IPV. Implications and suggestions are discussed with particular attention to the heterogeneity of experiences among SMW as a necessary area of further study.

Highlights

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a preventable, widespread public health crisis that disproportionately harms women [1]
To extend the body of knowledge that has demonstrated linkages of sexual minority stress to behavioral correlates of IPV [4,27,29,30], this study examines the relationships of well-documented risk factors and, for sexual minority women (SMW) and women in general, sexual minority stigma and childhood exposure to domestic violence
The current study found that internalized sexual minority stigma was significantly and positively correlated with perceptions of psychological IPV

Summary

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a preventable, widespread public health crisis that disproportionately harms women [1]. In the United States, over one in three women will experience IPV in their lifetime [2]. Over 60% of bisexual women and nearly 40% of lesbian women will be harmed by an intimate partner [3]. These elevated risks cannot be fully understood without acknowledging the under-representation of same-gender relationships in society. Dominant sociocultural norms simultaneously accept heterosexual relationships and reject same-gender relationships; such values may play an important role in how people perceive aspects of intimate relationships, including

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