Is there more domestic violence in LGBT homes?

miserablizm · Forum Addict

Is there more domestic violence in LGBT homes?

Captain Tim · Forum Member

Well, a bit of quick Googling turns up this, from www.saferlancashire.co.uk:

* 23% of all assaults recorded by the police are domestic abuse assaults (British Crime Survey 2000)
* Many studies have found that 1 woman in 4, at some stage in her life, experiences domestic abuse (the most recent shows a figure of 45% - British Crime Survey 2004)
* On average, 42% of female murder victims are killed by current or former partners (Criminal Statistics 2001) In the UK, an average of 2 women die per week due to domestic abuse (Home Office)
* Police reports, of those who call for help, breakdown as follows:
o 81% female victims attacked by male perpetrators
o 8% male victims attacked by female perpetrators
o 7% male victims attacked by male perpetrators
o 4% female victims attacked by female perpetrators

And on a local level, from the same site:

According to Police figures, there were 2,399 reports of domestic abuse in Chorley & South Ribble from April 2003 to March 2004. Of these, 79% were reports where the alleged abuser was the partner or ex-partner of the victim, sons counted for 7.5% and brothers for 1.5%, all other categories (father, step-family, daughter, mother) counted for 1% or less than 1% of reported incidents. Of these, 31% victims reported more than 1 incident, of these, 90% were women and 10% men, the alleged abuser was male in 91% of cases and female in 9%.

Given those figures, I'd say that even adjusting for the fact that most partnerships are heterosexual, it seems vastly more likely that a victim of domestic abuse will be a woman beaten by her male partner.

Rt hon NickyDyke85 · Lord of the Rings

I'd be wary of the 'dark figure' as domestic abuse also includes mental abuse which is very often overlooked and there are virtually invisible statistics relating to it, unlike physical abuse.

I'd say heterosexual relationships are generally more likely to have physical abuse as a part of them than homosexual ones. However homosexual relationships are more likely to feature mental abuse. Everyone has come across a proverbial head**** at least once.

The mental abuse generally tend to start before the physical abuse as it wears down someones confidence so much that they feel worthless and like they won't get anyone else so they stick with the abuser who ultimately becomes more controlling. Also with homosexual relationships there is the added factor of holding whether or not someone is out against them.

Theres a particularly nasty lass like this around Leeds at the moment, who is continually eroding her gf's self confidence by having a go at her for losing weight because 'people might start fancying her' or so-and-so she doesn't like has spoke 2 her gf, she also used to continually have a go at her gf for not been out to her family and turning it into a 'if you loved me you'd tell them', then started going around and making it as obvious as possible in front of her family... the gf then told her brother who was fine, so this lass started getting on at her for not telling her parents, and then because she didn't want to and wasn't ready, this lass basically decided to do it herself and outed her gf to her parents. Somehow they are still together and she's still contuing to try and control what her gf does, who she speaks to, etc.

CrowJake · Forum Addict

I'm sorry I can't give a good source for it, but I'll google it, however I read recently that 30% of lesbians have been sexually assaulted by another woman... given that pretty much 99%+ of rapists are men that's huge. I'm only guessing that's probably to do with the amount of assault that happens in relationship, far more of which for lesbians are with women, but it does dispell the idea for some that lesbian relationships are an absolute haven from abuse.

Rt hon NickyDyke85 · Lord of the Rings

Lesbian relationships aren't a haven from abuse, 3 letters - P M S double that and stick it together about the same time & you've got all hell breaking loose.

Also girls are pretty bitchy, manipulative and vindictive thanks to graduating up through the ranks of british schools. There's the bullying, snide comments aimed at undermining peoples confidence and mind games. They are pretty good at infliciting mental abuse on anyone.

-- Edited by Rt hon NickyDyke85 at 10:12, 2008-06-06

miserablizm · Forum Addict

Although I'm sure some girls are like that, I don't think it's fair to suggest that they all are; I know several girls who underwent British schools and would be hard-pressed to abuse their partners, emotionally or otherwise. Also, PMS doesn't turn *all* of us into rabid, girlfriend-hating monsters ... some couples react to it by having a cuddle and watching something mindless on the internet!

Rt hon NickyDyke85 · Lord of the Rings

must just be my ex's

miserablizm · Forum Addict

*comfort*

The loud one

Oh bbelieve me Domestic abude in homosexual relationships is alive and well seen more than enough at the clinic

Rt hon NickyDyke85 · Lord of the Rings

Cheers 4 the comfort Liz, word of advice tho if u ever end up wi a woman who has really bad PMS & is dieting, DON'T ever offer her chocolate lol.

I've got a really good gf n am happy now :o)

Jake 100% of rapists are men, legally women can't be charged with rape as the law states that they don't have the neccesary implements for penetration.

Shogg · Posting Addict

Rt hon NickyDyke85 wrote:

Cheers 4 the comfort Liz, word of advice tho if u ever end up wi a woman who has really bad PMS & is dieting, DON'T ever offer her chocolate lol.

I've got a really good gf n am happy now :o)

Jake 100% of rapists are men, legally women can't be charged with rape as the law states that they don't have the neccesary implements for penetration.

Actually, that's not true. There are a few cases where women have been charged with rape for anally penetrating men with broom handles and other implements. You don't need a **** to rape, apparently. They have been exceptional and noted as such as they seem to contradict the law, but it has happened.

CrowJake · Forum Addict

"98 per cent of people found guilty of, or cautioned for, sexual offences are male."
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=442 archived in 2006 for the 07/08 British crime survey.
Obviously "sexual offense" is broader than rape but it includes "sexual assault" which in my opinion is very difficult to distinguish from rape anyway, especially in terms of the harm it causes.

After a bit of snooping I think my 30% is probably not indicative of actual uk statistics, as I found this:
"Studies over the past two decades on lesbian sexual violence show a range from a low of 5% to a high of 57%
of respondents claiming they had experienced attempted or completed sexual assault or rape by another
woman, with most studies finding rates of over 30%"
http://www.wcasa.org/docs/lesbigay.pdf

- it quotes a few surveys, the latest being 1996, and it's USA rather than UK based, but still... according to the 98% for ALL sexual offenses (so lots & lots of stuff that isn't domestic) sexual assault should be negligible...

So, stats-this, stats-that, what I was trying to say is, at least with the sexual side of domestic violence, that it's part of how we set up relationships which makes this happen. It's not because of some inherent male tendency for sexual violence, which I would guess would make many people assume that a lesbian relationship would eliminate by default.

-- Edited by CrowJake at 14:08, 2008-09-27

Rt hon NickyDyke85 · Lord of the Rings

Its simply cos some people r bullies & feel that they have 2 control everything

Shogg · Posting Addict

Rt hon NickyDyke85 wrote:

Its simply cos some people r bullies & feel that they have 2 control everything

Bingo! We have a winner!

Rt hon NickyDyke85 · Lord of the Rings

is true tho, they r that insecure about everything that they'll try n stop their other half going out or seeing anyone without them round, if they suceed in that they've got all the power & well, it's an easy thing 2 abuse.