Demographic, Psychosocial, and Personality Characteristics of Lesbian Batterers

• NCJ Number: 203575
• Journal: Violence and Victims Volume: 18 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2003 Pages: 557-568
• Author(s): Blaise Fortunata; Carolynn S. Kohn
• Editor(s): Roland D. Maiuro Ph.D.
• Date Published: October 2003
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined factors associated with domestic violence committed by lesbians against their intimate partners, including demographic, psychosocial, and personality factors and compared them with lesbians who reported no perpetration of violence against their intimate partners.

Abstract

Few studies have examined self-reported characteristics of partner assaultive lesbians. This study examined demographic, personality, and psychosocial characteristics of lesbian batterers in an effort to better understand the differences between lesbians who are violent and those who are nonviolent in their romantic relationships. The study specifically examined childhood history of violence and sexual abuse, substance use problems, and psychopathology among lesbian batterers and nonbatterers. The study hypothesized that lesbian batterers would be more likely to report having been the victim of physical or sexual abuse in the family of origin, report more substance dependence or abuse, and report higher levels of personality and psychological traits associated with battering behavior. One-hundred lesbians between the ages of 20 and 57 and in current relationships were examined. Of the 100, 33 were batterers and 67 were nonbatterers. Results from the study include: (1) lesbians batterers were more likely to have experienced childhood violence in their family of origin compared to nonbatterers; (2) a relationship existed between substance use and battering behavior; and (3) lesbian batterers reported higher levels of antisocial, aggressive, borderline, and paranoid personality traits. The results support clinical observations and suggest that social learning and psychopathology models may be useful theoretical frameworks from which to understand and identify both heterosexual and same-sex battering behaviors. Additional research was recommended in the replication and extension of the findings into larger, more diverse samples and to include both partners for corroboratory data. References