title: Intimate partner violence among sexual minorities in Japan: exploring perceptions and experiences.
abstract: Using qualitative interviews (n = 39) and participant observation (n = 54), this study documents perceptions and experiences of violence between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex intimate partners in Japan, thereby providing exploratory, formative data on a previously unexamined issue. Results indicate that intimate partner violence (IPV) is experienced physically, sexually, and psychologically in all sexual minority groups. Participants perceived the violence to be: a) very similar to heterosexual IPV against women; b) more likely perpetrated and experienced by lesbians, bisexual women, and transgender persons compared to gay and bisexual men and intersex persons; c) the cause of several negative physical and mental health outcomes; and d) largely unrecognized in both sexual minority communities and broader Japanese society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, California State University, Fullerton, California 92834-6870, USA. adistefano@fullerton.edu
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: DiStefano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult