Intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ+ community: Implications for family court professionals

• Published in: Family court review 2024-01, Vol.62 (1), p.45-67
• Main Authors: Davis, Lindsey Sank, Crain, Emily E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bisexuality; Cisgender; cultural considerations; Domestic violence; Families & family life; family court; Family law; Gays & lesbians; Gender; gender minority; Heterosexuality; Homosexuality; identity abuse; Intimate partner violence; Lesbianism; LGBTQ; LGBTQ community; LGBTQ people; Parents & parenting; queer; Risk factors; Sexual orientation; Transgender persons; Victimization
• ISSN: 1531-2445; 1744-1617
• DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12765

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) individuals likely experience more intimate partner violence (IPV) than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. Though the research on IPV among LGBTQ+ individuals is lacking in quantity, available evidence suggests LGBTQ+ individuals have unique risk factors for IPV victimization and perpetration, express identity‐specific reasons for underreporting IPV, and experience types of IPV specific to their sexual orientation and/or gender identities. Bisexual and transgender individuals appear to be at significantly higher risk of IPV victimization compared to their peers. A search of the Family Court Review archives suggests that IPV affecting bisexual parents has never been directly addressed in the publication, nor has IPV affecting transgender or gender‐nonconforming parents, and the last article on the topic of IPV in gay and lesbian relationships (Bunker Rohrbaugh, 2006) was published more than 15 years ago when marriage and adoption rights were unavailable to most LGBTQ+ individuals. The current article provides an updated and comprehensive discussion of IPV within the broader LGBTQ+ community, reviews the limitations of the extant literature and the need for more research, and demonstrates that LGBTQ+ IPV is a complex issue with which all family court practitioners should be familiar. Key points for the family court community LGBTQ+ individuals experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at similar or higher rates compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Bisexual and transgender individuals are at particularly high risk of experiencing IPV. IPV in LGBTQ+ partnerships often occurs bidirectionally, meaning that both partners perpetrate and experience violence or coercive control. LGBTQ+ parents are vulnerable to identity abuse, in which their sexual orientation or gender identity is weaponized by their partner or co‐parent. Family court professionals should familiarize themselves with the unique patterns and risk factors for IPV among the different identity groups under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.