International Council for Education, Research and Training

Intimate Partner Violence: A Neutral Perespective Of Violence Against Males And Homesexuals

Bijawat, Swati1 and Marwaha, Sanjana Sharma2

1&2Associate Professor, Amity University, Noida

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a crime in which a partner hurts his partner physically, emotionally, or sexually and thus, tries to have control over them. IPV is a very serious and outrageous crime that is generally assumed to be against women only whereas it is not a gender-biased crime. Thus, this research paper aims at bursting the gender myths about victims of IPV. With references to various studies, it has been observed that heterosexual males, as well as homosexuals, can also be the victims of IPV. This article talks about IPV which remained unheard of for years, its types, forms, causes, and factors giving rise to it along with some suggestions for society and legislature to prevent and curb IPV. This article also focuses on reasons for which the cases of male victims and homosexual victims stay unreported. Through this article, we briefly review the literature on IPV along with the laws for protecting victims of IPV are also discussed with respect to India.

Keywords- IPV, Crime, Violence, Gender Neutral, Laws.

Impact Statement

This study addresses a critical yet often overlooked dimension of intimate partner violence (IPV) by adopting a neutral perspective that highlights the experiences of male and homosexual victims. While traditional narratives primarily focus on female victims, this research brings balance to the discourse by shedding light on the patterns, consequences, and societal perceptions of IPV affecting men and individuals in same-sex relationships.

The impact of this study is substantial as it challenges prevailing stereotypes and expands the understanding of IPV as a universal issue, not confined by gender or sexual orientation. It provides valuable insights for policymakers, social workers, mental health professionals, and advocacy organizations, encouraging the development of more inclusive support systems, legal protections, and public awareness campaigns.

By promoting an equitable and evidence-based approach to IPV, the study contributes to creating safer, more responsive environments for all victims, thus fostering a more comprehensive framework for addressing domestic violence in diverse communities.

About The Author

Dr. Swati Bijawat is an Associate Professor (Sociology) at Amity Law School, Noida, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh. An academician, researcher and counselor by profession, a

gold medalist in sociology; she holds a dual degree in MA (Sociology) and MBA (HR). She has a keen interest in research and has many articles to her credit including an article published in IIM Calcutta Journal of Human Values. Her area of work includes gender studies, child issues, research ethics, work life balance.

 

Dr. Sanjana Sharma Marwaha is an Associate Professor at Amity Institute of Social Sciences, Amity University Uttar Pradesh. She is a sociologist, trained at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University. She writes extensively on social, legal and technological issues. Her areas of academic interest include study of ethics, political economy, sociology of media, sociology of gender, interrelationship between market-led consumption and beauty ideals, sociology of culture, sociology of religion, law and society, rights of women and children, interconnections between artificial intelligence and society.

References

 

  1. Sharma, N. (2016). A sociological study of domestic violence against men in Jaipur city, IIS UNIVERSITY, JAIPUR. Retrieved July 16, 2021, Inflibnet.ac.in [Website]. https://shodhgangotri.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/5574/2/02_synopsis.pdf

  2. Parallelus. (2012, May 1). How sexual violence impacts our lives. Retrieved July 16, 2021, Actabuse.com [Website]. http://actabuse.com/how-sexual-violence-impacts-our-lives

  3. Agüero, J. M. (2021). COVID-19 and the rise of intimate partner violence. World Development, 137, (Article 105217). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105217

  4. Balsam, K. F. (2001). Nowhere to Hide. Women and Therapy, 23(3), 25–37. https://doi.org/10.1300/J015v23n03_03

  5. Balsam, K. F., & Szymanski, D. M. (2005). Relationship Quality and Domestic Violence in Women’s Same-Sex Relationships: The Role of Minority Stress. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29(3), 258–269. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2005.00220.x

  6. Breiding. (2013). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). M.J., Chen, J., & Walters. Medicine and Law. Atlanta, 2010 Findings of Victimization by Sexual Orientation.

  7. Cannon, C. (2015). Illusion of inclusion: The failure of the gender paradigm to account for intimate partner violence in LGBT relationships. Partner Abuse, 6(1), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.1891/1946-6560.6.1.65

  8. Capaldi, D. M., Kim, H. K., & Shortt, J. W. (2007). Observed Initiation and Reciprocity of Physical Aggression in Young, At-Risk Couples. Journal of Family Violence, 22(2), 101–111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9067-1

  9. Preventing Sexual Violence. (2021, February 24). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Cdc.gov [Website]. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html

  10. Sexual Violence. (2021, February 23). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Cdc.gov [Website]. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/index.html

  11. Preventing Youth Violence. (2020, April 8). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Cdc.gov [Website]. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/fastfact.html

  12. Pigeon, Cerulli, C., Richards, H., He, H., Perlis, M., & Caine, E. (2011). Sleep disturbances and their association with mental health among women exposed to intimate partner violence. W.R. Journal of Women’s Health (2002), 20(12), 1923–1929.

  13. Jaffe. P.G., Wolfe, D.A., & Wilson, S.K. (1990). Children of battered women. Sage Publications.

  14. Physical violence. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Coe.int [Website]. https://www.coe.int/en/web/gender-matters/physical-violence

  15. Shillington, Cottler, L. B., Compton, W. M., Spitznagel, E. L., Spitznagel, E. L., . . . Spitznagel, E. L. (1995). Is there a relationship between “heavy drinking” and HIV high risk sexual behaviors among general population subjects? The International Journal of the Addictions, 30(11), 1453–1478. https://doi.org/10.3109/10826089509055842

  16. Deshpande, S. (2019). Sociocultural and legal aspects of violence against men. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 1(3–4), 246–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/2631831819894176

  17. Dietz, C. (2001). Working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered abuse survivors. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 12(2), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.1300/J059v12n02_03

  18. Edwards, K. M., Sylaska, K. M., & Neal, A. M. (2015). Intimate partner violence among sexual minority populations: A critical review of the literature and agenda for future research. Psychology of Violence, 5(2), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038656

  19. Family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia. (2018). (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Gov.au [Website]. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/family-domestic-sexual-violence-in-australia-2018/summary

  20. Campbell, D. (2010, September 4). More than 40% of domestic violence victims are male, report reveals. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/sep/05/men-victims-domestic-violence

  21. Section 498A in the Indian penal code. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Indiankanoon.org [Website]. https://indiankanoon.org/doc/538436/

  22. Ramadugu, Jayaram, S., P. V., Srivastava, K., Chatterjee, K., & Madhusudan, T. (2015). Understanding intimate partner violence and its correlates. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 24(2), 172–178. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-6748.181714

  23. Winstead, B. A., Lewis, Kelley, M. L., Mason, T. B., Fitzgerald, H. N., & Calhoun, D. (2017). Intervention for violence and aggression in gay and lesbian relationships. R.J. In The Wiley Handbook of Violence and Aggression (pp. 1–13). John Wiley & Sons, Limited.

  24. Devries, Mak, J. Y., Bacchus, L. J., Child, J. C., Falder, G., Petzold, M., Watts, C. H., Astbury, J., Watts, C. H., . . . Watts, C. H. (2013). Intimate partner violence and incident depressive symptoms and suicide attempts: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. PLOS Medicine, 10(5), Article e1001439. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001439

  25. Malik, J. S., & Nadda, A. (2019). A cross-sectional study of gender-based violence against men in the rural area of Haryana, India. Indian Journal of Community Medicine: Official Publication of Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine, 44(1), 35–38. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_222_18

  26. McLaughlin, E. M., & Rozee, P. D. (2001). Knowledge About Heterosexual versus Lesbian Battering Among Lesbians. Women and Therapy, 23(3), 39–58. https://doi.org/10.1300/J015v23n03_04

  27. Messinger, A. M. (2011). Invisible victims: Same-sex IPV in the National Violence Against Women Survey. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(11), 2228–2243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260510383023

  28. Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674

  29. Moreira. (2020). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the precipitation of intimate partner violence. D.N., & pinto da costa, M. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 71, (Article 101606).

  30. Murray, Mobley, C., A. K., Buford, A., & Seaman-DeJohn, M. (2008). Same-sex intimate partner violence. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 1(4), 7–30.

  31. NCADV. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Ncadv.org [Website]. https://ncadv.org/STATISTICS

  32. Forms of Abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Nnedv.org [Website]. https://nnedv.org/content/forms-of-abuse/

  33. Tjaden, P., Thoennes, N., & U S Department of Justice. (2012). Full report of the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women. North Charleston, SC: Create space Independent Publishing Platform.

  34. Overstreet, N. M., & Quinn, D. M. (2013). The Intimate Partner Violence Stigmatization Model and Barriers to Help-Seeking. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 35(1), 109–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2012.746599

  35. Intimate Partner Violence. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Psychiatry.org [Website]. https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/cultural-competency/education/intimate-partner-violence

  36. Types of Sexual Violence. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Rainn.org [Website]. https://www.rainn.org/types-sexual-violence

  37. Ristock, J. (2005). Relationship violence in lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer [LGBTQ] communities moving beyond a gender-based framework. Retrieved July 16, 2021, Semanticscholar.org [Website]. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/23b6/1c0642d6b09fe881fc4c3e465e59905dccc6.pdf

  38. Karakurt, Smith, G., D., & Whiting, J. (2014). Impact of intimate partner violence on women’s mental health. Journal of Family Violence, 29(7), 693–702. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9633-2

  39. Kumar, A. (2012). Domestic violence against men in India: A perspective. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 22(3), 290–296.

  40. Madhu, M. (2023). Gender differentiation and women empowerment with reference to the plays of Mahesh Dattani. Shodh Sari-An International Multidisciplinary Journal, 02(04), 138–151. https://doi.org/10.59231/sari7630

  41. Understand relationship abuse. (2020, August 25). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Thehotline.org [Website]. https://www.thehotline.org/identify-abuse/understand-relationship-abuse/

  42. Walker, L. E. (1999). Psychology and domestic violence around the world. The American Psychologist, 54(1), 21–29.

  43. Warburton. (2020). Domestic Abuse during COVID-19: What about the boys? E, & Raniolo, G. Psychiatry Research, 291, (Article 113155).

  44. Preventing Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence against Women: Acting and Generating Evidence. (2010). World Health Organization. Retrieved July 16, 2021, Who.int [Website]. https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/violence/9789241564007_eng.pdf

  45. Emotional and Verbal Abuse. (2014). Retrieved July 16, 2021, Womenshealth.gov [Website]. https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/other-types/emotional-and-verbal-abuse

Back

Contact​

Visit our main website www.icert.org.in

Copyright © 2025  International Council for Education, Research and Training  – All Rights Reserved.

Scroll to Top