According to a new study, physical and psychological violence is as common among adolescents in same-sex relationships as it is among those in heterosexual relationships. Almost 1/4 of adolescents in same-sex relationships reported that they had experienced psychological violence or victimization, and about 1 in 10 reported that they had experienced physical violence in the past 18 months.
Researchers used data from Wave II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (NLSAH) survey, which collected information on health and health-related behavior from more than 90,000 adolescents at 134 schools across the country, to estimate the prevalence of psychological violence and minor physical violence in adolescent same-sex relationships, and assess the correlation between violence and certain sociodemographic characteristics.
From the NLSAH survey, researchers selected 117 subjects aged 12-21 who reported that they had been involved exclusively in same-sex relationships for 18 months or more. Sexual orientation was determined based on reported behavior rather than on self-identification because categories of sexual orientation classification can vary.
The NLSAH questionnaire measured the prevalence of relationship violence using 5 items selected from the Conflict Tactics Scale Form R. Subjects were asked whether in the past 18 months a partner had (a) called them names, insulted them, or treated them disrespectfully in front of others; (b) sworn at them; (c) threatened them with violence; (d) thrown something at them that could hurt them; or (e) pushed or shoved them.
Subjects were divided into three categories based on their responses: (1) no violence or victimization in any of the same-sex relationships reported, (2) only psychological victimization reported, and (3) only physical OR both physical and psychological victimization. These categories were assessed in relation to the following sociodemographic characteristics, also reported on the NLSAH questionnaire: biological sex, age, highest educational level achieved by a parent figure (this was used as a proxy measure for socioeconomic status), family structure, importance of religion, and size of school attended.
Researchers used a logistic regression model to determine associations between the level of violence reported and the six sociodemographic characteristics. Of these characteristics, only gender was determined to be significantly associated with partner violence, with females reporting higher incidences of both physical and psychological violence than males (29% vs. 18%). Females in same-sex relationships were as likely to report relationship violence as females in heterosexual relationships, while males in same-sex relationships were only half as likely to report violence as males in heterosexual relationships. In general, the prevalence of different types of violent acts was similar for males and females; however, females were 5 times more likely than males to report having something thrown at them (1.8% vs. 9.0%).
Importance of religion and school size were associated with violence at the p < 0.10 level. Subjects who reported that religion was important to them, or who attended larger schools, were at slightly lower risk of experiencing relationship violence.
The study is limited by the relatively small size of the sample population, and by the nature of the NLSAH questionnaire. The NLSAH questionnaire does not address issues of more extreme physical violence, and does not indicate the context in which reported violence and victimization occurred. Additionally, because the NLSAH survey does not focus specifically on gay, lesbian and bisexual adolescents, it omits issues in relationship violence that may be specific to homosexual relationships, such as the threat of "outing," or exposing the sexual status of, a partner.
Researchers suggest that, in order to create effective support and intervention programs, more research is needed to explore how the specific factors affecting gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth influence patterns of intimate relationship violence. "Many contributors to same-sex partner violence likely overlap with those leading to violence in opposite-sex relationships," the authors of the study conclude; "however, same-sex relationships have unique qualities (e.g., social stigma) that may affect interpersonal dynamics."
Halpern CT, Young ML, Waller MW, et al.: Prevalence of Partner Violence in Same Sex Romantic and Sexual Relationships in a National Sample of Adolescents. Journal Of Adolescent Health 2004; 35:124-131. |
HOME
