Violence Within Lesbian Couples

One of the recurring claims in much radical feminist literature is that violence is an inherently male problem, as opposed to a general human problem. The radical feminist critique of the family, for example, often simplistically postulates that it is solely the presence of males within the family structure which leads to interpersonal violence in families (in other words, even where a woman assaults a man, it is still the man’s fault).

The idea that women may perpetuate violence on their own is one usually ridiculed as a part of the “backlash” by “right-wing forces.” Studies which show that, in violent relationships, men and women on average participate in acts of violence at similar rates, are dismissed as propaganda and researchers who produce such data often subjected to campaigns of protest.

It is interesting, then to consider a study done a couple years ago at the University of Florida which found domestic violence within lesbian couples to be just as prevalent as domestic violence within married heterosexual couples.

Sociologist Janis Weber interviewed 168 lesbians and found that 14 percent of those in committed relationships experienced some form of domestic violence within the previous month — very close to the number of women in heterosexual relationships who report experiencing some form of domestic violence in surveys.

A press release from the University of Florida summarizing the study noted that:

The study of 84 lesbian couples found that lesbians who beat their
partners fit the profile of heterosexuals who did so because they also abused their authority and tried to control their partners. The victims resembled their heterosexual counterparts in making excuses for the abuse or the abusive partner.

There was one important difference, though — the feminist ideology that men are the root cause of violence makes it difficult for lesbian victims of domestic violence to be taken seriously by authorities.

“The only difference between these women and their heterosexual counterparts is they feel completely ostracized from normal channels of help,” Weber said. “If they call the police, the officer would likely laugh and say ‘Oh right, your girlfriend beat you up.’ And they’re persona non grata at shelters because these are usually battered spouse shelters.”

Leave a Reply