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Fear of having to reveal their sexual orientation deters some women who are abused in lesbian relationships from seeking help, new research shows.
The study, presented to the British Sociological Association’s annual conference in Cardiff, reports that abusive lesbian relationships can involve physical assaults, sexual coercion and emotional cruelty, just as abusive heterosexual relationships can.
But fear of their colleagues or family finding out their concealed sexuality can deter some women from speaking to those closest to them or approaching the police, the research found. In one of the most detailed studies to date of abuse in lesbian relationships, Dr Rebecca Barnes interviewed 40 women aged between 21 and 70. The women were chosen because all had suffered some form of abuse.
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December 5th, 2009UncategorizedFear of having to reveal their sexual orientation deters some women who are abused in lesbian relationships from seeking help, new research shows.