Intimate Partner Violence and the Role of Masculinity in Male Same-Sex Relationships

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) in heterosexual couples has been heavily researched for decades, but researchers have only recently begun to examine the correlates of violent behavior in same-sex relationships. Masculinity and male-role socialization have long been recognized as related to many forms of violent behavior, but masculine behavior in gay men and its role in IPV have not been similarly studied. In a community sample of 117 ethnically diverse, primarily college educated gay and bisexual men, it was found that men who had perpetrated physical or sexual violence in their same-sex relationships reported higher levels of masculine behaviors than men who had not used violence. A high correlation between perpetrating acts of IPV and being the victim of such acts was also found. Greater conformity to traditional masculine norms, specifically, aggressiveness and suppression of emotional vulnerability, was a significant predictor of perpetrator physical violence over and above being the recipient of physical IPV acts. Overall, these results suggest that clinicians serving the LGBT community may not wish to ascribe to a patriarchical model of IPV in which there are distinct perpetrator and victim roles.