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Domestic violence within lesbian relationships is the pattern of violent and coercive behavior in a female same-sex relationship where a lesbian or other non-heterosexual woman seeks to control the thoughts, beliefs, or conduct of her female intimate partner. Although domestic violence is widely known as a heterosexual issue, it is also a significant factor within lesbian relationships. == Prevalence == The discussion about domestic violence among lesbians has become a serious social concern, but the topic has often been ignored, both in academic analyses and in the establishment of social services for battered women.〔 Although many founders of the battered women's movement were lesbians, the issue of battering between women often remains ignored or denied, regardless of sexuality. The ''Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention'' states, "For several methodological reasons – nonrandom sampling procedures and self-selection factors, among others – it is not possible to assess the extent of same-sex domestic violence. Studies on abuse between gay male or lesbian partners usually rely on small convenience samples such as lesbian or gay male members of an association." Some sources state that gay and lesbian couples experience domestic violence at the same frequency as heterosexual couples, while other sources state domestic violence among gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals might be higher than among heterosexual individuals, that gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals are less likely to report domestic violence that has occurred in their intimate relationships than heterosexual couples are, or that lesbian couples experience domestic violence less than heterosexual couples do. By contrast, some researchers commonly assume that lesbian couples experience domestic violence at the same rate as heterosexual couples, and have been more cautious when reporting domestic violence among gay male couples.〔 According to the statistics gathered from the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and social service agencies, approximately 3.9 million women are physically abused by their female partners and 20.7 million are verbally or emotionally abused by their female partners.〔 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey reports on the lifetime prevalence of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner, focusing for the first time on victimization by sexual orientation. It finds a victimization prevalence of 43.8 percent for lesbians, making it the second most affected group after bisexual women (61.1 percent), ahead of bisexual men (37.3 percent), heterosexual women (35 percent), heterosexual men (29 percent) and homosexual men (26 percent).〔Black, Michele C., Kathleen C. Basile, Matthew J. Breiding, Sharon G. Smith, Mikel L. Walters, Melissa T. Merrick, and M. R. Stevens. ("National intimate partner and sexual violence survey." ) ''Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention'' 75 (2011) page 8〕 The issue of domestic violence among lesbian couples is highly ignored due to political correctness and the social construction of gender roles that women are expected to play in society.〔 The social construction of women is characterized as passive, dependent, nurturing, and highly emotional. Due to forms of discrimination, homophobia, and heterosexism, and the belief that heterosexuality is normative within society, domestic violence has been characterized as being between the male perpetrator and the female victim.〔 This contributes to the invisibility of the frequency of domestic violence that constantly takes place within lesbian relationships. Moreover, the fear of reinforcing negative stereotypes has led some community members, activists, and victims to deny the extent of violence among lesbians. Social service agencies are often unwilling to assist lesbian victims of domestic violence.〔 Victims of domestic violence in lesbian relationships are less likely to have the case prosecuted within a legal system. In an effort to overcome the denial of domestic violence in lesbian relationships, advocates for abused women often concentrate on similarities between homosexual and heterosexual domestic violence. The main goal of activists is to legitimize lesbian domestic violence as real abuse and validate the experience of its victims.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Domestic violence in lesbian relationships」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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