Are Same Sex Couples Experiencing Higher Levels of Domestic Violence Than The General Population?

The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society (ARCSHS) on Friday launched their report "Private Lives: A report on the health and wellbeing of GLBTI Australians.

The report provides a comprehensive look into the physical & mental health of GLBTI people across Australia.  5,476 people participated in the on-line survey and the resulting report paints an alarming picture about levels of abuse in same sex relationships.

A disturningly high 33% of respondents reported having been in a relationship where the partner was abusive, higher than most estimates for rates of famliy violence experienced by Australian women.  The report goes on to express great concern that, given these high rates of 'intimate partner abuse', there remains to be a lack of appropriate referral options for female perpetrators and male victims in mainstream services.

A full version of the report can be found on the ARCSHS website, or on our Research & Publications page.