“I just thought maybe this is [the] way of doing things”: Exploring lesbian-, gay-, and bisexual-specific intimate partner violence in Norway.

Abstract

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) relationships seems to be at least as high as in heterosexual relationships. However, there are uncertainties regarding how IPV is more specifically experienced in LGB relationships. We explore how LGB individuals exposed to IPV make sense of the potentially more specific ways in which IPV is enacted and experienced in LGB relationships. Method: We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with LGB individuals (aged between 19 and 70) in Norway who had experienced IPV. We used a (reflexive) thematic analysis to discern the specific themes that captured how our participants related to IPV. Results: We first illustrate the four types of IPV that our participants talked about: psychological, physical, sexual, and economical. We then present the three main themes that we generated based on the participants’ interviews, exploring the more specific ways in which IPV may be experienced in LGB relationships: (a) being dominated, (b) invalidation of sexual orientation, and (c) jealousy-based vulnerability. Conclusions: These findings underscore the prominent role that sexual orientation plays in IPV experiences. Being an LGB individual may generate specific IPV experiences among this group in Norway. The potentially distinct ways in which IPV is enacted and experienced in LGB relationships are important to consider, not only to make the IPV problem among this group visible but also to tailor the psychosocial interventions to the specific needs of this group.