Intimate Partner Violence in Same-Sex Couples

[Page 981]Intimate partner violence is defined as an abusive relationship that results in physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological harm caused by a current or former spouse or romantic partner. Often one partner disproportionately and coercively controls the other, resulting in a chronic power imbalance that is psychologically and physically harmful to the victim. While research has long focused on heterosexual partner violence, same-sex partner violence is a rapidly developing area of research. Research findings highlight that same-sex intimate partner violence occurs at a rate similar to that of heterosexual partner violence and is an important national public health issue not exclusive to heterosexual relationships. This entry examines the rates of intimate partner violence in same-sex couples and also reviews the limitations in researching and understanding ...