No More Secret: Domestic Violence Experience in Lesbian Relationships and Their Coping Strategics
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Wen, Hsiao-Wen
Abstract
Last year, the amendment of “Domestic Violence Law” was adopted. The one who had now or once '' lived together '' was included in the meaning of family''s members, so leabian and gay relationships were also fit into it. But, there was not enought complete set of policy or practice service. There were new challenges for LGBT community, service provider, and police maker. Whether the existing systems have already got ready or not? In the society of homophobia and heterosexism, do the systems have enough correct attitudes, and can they offer the appropriate service? This research wants to be the explanatory of the domestic violence within lesbian partners themselves. And explain the way they go through. With the finding, I wish could offer the anti-violence system, feminist, LGBT community some apporiate suggestions. This research combines family''s violence view and feminism view, and with the view putting the lesbian relationships under the whole social context. This research used the qualitative research method, and through depth interview ten lesbian who had experienced domestice violence, throught the stories they told to collect the reaearch data. The result of this study finds that the intimate violence really exists between two woman''s companion, and its atrocity is not ruthless to the domestic violence among the heterosexual companions. The forms of the violence are similar to the violence among the heterosexual companions; they are physical violence, psychology violence and also sexual violence. The psychology violence was kind of comparatively meticulous but injury. The frequency of violence exists in some kind of circulated cycle, and it is similar to the heterosexual one. Mostly, the violence takes place after the steady period of relationship, and has the tendency to become more and more serious. There are some similar factors between homosexual and hetersexual domestic violence, including the characteristics of perpetraters and vicitims, the one who experience violence may ever go through or witness family violence or intimate violence before. And the motive power between the relationships also has some similarity. There were also some difference because of different sexual orientation, for example the lesbian partners are often in an isolated situation, the power between them were more fluid , and some couplea may compete with each other. Those factors influence the strategics they choose to go through. The most often strategics they choosen to cope with were personal orientation. On a passivism aspect, some are just cried quietly, some came into commit suicide thought. In a comparatively positive way, one may try to leave the violence situation, or try to stop violence by fighting back, or try to negotiate with perpetrater about the point which cause the conflicts. In the part of seeking help to the external world, the one they seek for help must already know and accept their sexual orientation, inculding hetersexual friends, homosexual friends, perpetrater’s ex-girlfriend, and their original family members.And, they gave emotional supports mostly. While turning to seek help of formal system, the most important things they care is personal confidentiality and the one they seek for help cares about their individual differences. According to the research findings above, there were some suggestions for the policy and the practice. First of all, changing the impressions of mainstream society about the domestic violence in lesbian relationships is the most important thing, and this can through education, media, and policy declare. In judical reform, I propose the legalization of LGBT Marriage Law. In practice aspect, I suggest that the coordination of difference professional systems, combine with educational and training program. The social worker should be the role of case management, offer available resources linkage. In addition, practicer should carry out suicidal preventation and to be client-centerd thought to provide appropriate services for those who choose to stay in relationships. I also propose provide services for the perpetrater, too. In this service network, GLBT organizations and groups should play the role of providing service for community, and increase the sense of ownership in order to providing a way that LGBT community members can reach.
Subjects
Lesbian Relationship
Domestic Violence
Coping Strategics
Ambivalent Fusion
Power and Control
Competance Relationship
Isolation Situation
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