The Prevalence of Opposite-Sex Partner Violence in The U.S.

The epidemic of violence of anti-intimacy partners in the United States is not surprising. Many studies focus on the incidence of intimate partner violence in relationships between heterosexuals, their factors, and possible solutions to reduce such violence. The same is true for violence by same-sex couples. The current important research is comparing the violence of intimate partners of same sex and the national statistics on such violence against the partner's violence between homosexual intimate partner violence and heterosexuality.

According to the results of the National Violence Survey 15 for women, the lifelong abuse rate of women living with homosexual intimate partners was 35.4%, while that of women living alone with heterosexual partners was 20.4%. Women who live with same-sex intimate partners reported a rape rate of 11.4%, while those who live with heterosexual partners are 4.4%. However, these are lifetime rates and it does not mean that violators are also homosexual.

The incidence of individual attacks of men living with homosexual couples is 21.5% (7.1% of men living together with homosexual partners). Male homosexual couples are twice as injured by male partners. Therefore, men with homosexual couples have a higher risk of being abused in relationships of opposite sex than men. Men living with same-sex intimate partners did not report rape. In the homosexual community, many factors can reduce reports on relational violence. For example, social dishonor for homosexuality may interfere with reports of homosexual sexual violence.

This report highlights violence, sexual violence and lifelong prevalence of intimate partners tracking men and women in the United States through self-reported sexual orientation. Self-identified as a lesbian, gay, bisexual individual reports a violent incidence rate equal to or higher than the incidence of violence reported by self-identified heterosexuals. The goal of public health is to prevent violence first. A comprehensive anti-violence program, including LGB individuals, helps to further understand intimate partner violence, sexual violence and pursuit.