Intimate Partner Violence and the LGBT+ Community

Intimate Partner Violence is a serious social problem affecting millions in the United States and worldwide. The image of violence enacted by a male aggressor to a female victim dominates public perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV). This volume examines how this heteronormativity influences reporting and responding to partner violence when those involved do not fit the stereotype of a typical victim of IPV. Research and theory have helped us to understand power dynamics about heterosexual IPV; this book encourages greater attention to the unique issues and power dynamics of IPV in sexual minority populations. Divided into five distinct sections, chapters address research and theories associated with IPV, examining the similarities and differences of IPV within heterosexual and gender minority relationships.

 Among the topics discussed:

• Research methodology and scope of the problem
• Primary prevention and intervention of IPV among sexual and gender minorities
• Barriers to help-seeking among various populations
• Promoting outreach and advocacy
• Criminal justice response to IPV

With recommendations for intervention and prevention, criminal justice response and policy, Intimate Partner Violence and the LGBT+ Community: Understanding Power Dynamics will be of use to students, researchers, and practitioners of psychology, criminal justice, and public policy.  

• IPV
• Intimate partner violence
• heteronormative bias
• sexual minority relationships
• power dynamics of gender
• power dynamics of sexual orientation
• Violence Against Women Act
• domestic violence
• sexual violence
• violence against LGBTQ
• patriarchal violence
• gender, sexuality and law
• sexual offending

• The Pennsylvania State University, Berks, Reading, USA

  Brenda Russell

Dr. Brenda Russell is a Professor of Psychology at The Pennsylvania State University, Berks. Her scholarly interests include psychology and law, perceptions of victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, homicide defendants, and the social psychological and cognitive aspects of jury decision making. She is particularly interested in how gender and sexual orientation play a role in evaluating and responding to perpetrators and victims in cases of intimate partner violence, rape, sexual coercion, and sexual harassment. She is a fellow at the Midwestern Psychological Association and received the Eisenhower Award for distinguished teaching at Penn State University. Dr. Russell also provides expert testimony in homicide cases and serves as consultant and program evaluator for various federal and state educational, law enforcement, justice, and treatment programs.

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