by Empress Djata

Created on: July 20, 2009

Homosexuality in the United States is barely acknowledged compared to typical traditional American family structures, so how can homosexual domestic violence be. They do not have the same legal American citizen rights compared to those whose ancestors fled many diverse nations from persecution. For this part of the American population studies show they feel isolated and rejected, thus causing silence in this community.

However, observing homosexual relationships, many if not all are equivalent to their counterpart. The foremost difference between heterosexual and homosexual relationships is their partner selection. Many of both groups maintain and loose relationships. The morality behind per-marital sex however cannot be applied to homosexual couples, because of the U.S. band. Thus, creating a conundrum between right and wrong, as well as what is accepted and what is not.

In the past twenty years, there has been an ever-increasing acknowledgment of the prevalence of domestic violence in the general public. There are adverse influences on individuals, families, and society in general, which is caused by violent behavior. Apparently some individuals are at greater risk for becoming victims of this kind of violence, more so, than others. This pattern is believed to repeat it's cycle through generations, further spreading its face through our youth. Victimization thus is a fundamental nature that is distributed from witnessing it first hand. However, there have been minimum efforts placed on exploring the domestic violence in the homosexual community.

The novel "When love goes wrong", explores the relationship patterns of abuse inflicted by controlling male partners. Furthermore, it analyzes the solutions, tactics and techniques women used to avoid, resolve or leave the abuser. There are many forms of domestic violence; controlling partners typically start with verbal abuse and emotional abuse before transforming into physical assaults. However, these same problems and solutions could easily be applied to homosexual relationships. In the text "Family violence across the lifespan" by Barnett, Perrin, & Perrin, they examined domestic violence amongst homosexual's and found that there are many similarities between homosexual's and heterosexual's.

Domestic violence includes physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. It also includes the abuse of property and even pets according to Garley's 1989 article. Exposure to this form of violence has considerable potential to be regarded as life threatening by those abused, which can result in a sense of vulnerability, and helplessness, especially among homosexual's. Physical abuse refers to any behavior that involves the intentional use of force against the body of another person that risks physical injury, harm, and or pain according to Dutton. This sort of abuse includes pushing, hitting, slapping, choking, twisting of a body part, or use of a weapon. Victims of domestic violence often tend to be isolated by their abuser, and suffer economical threats and emotional abuse as well. This is far greater within the homosexual community where there is minimum support from the American government on a local or federal level. They are excluded from the Bill of Rights and dismissed by society.

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