Physical Intimate Partner Violence Across Heterosexual, Gay, and Lesbian Relationships

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has traditionally been conceptualized as a gendered phenomenon rooted in male perpetration and female victimization. However, evidence of IPV within same-sex relationships raises important questions regarding explanations that emphasize relationship gender composition as a primary determinant of partner violence. This study examined whether physical IPV involvement differed across heterosexual, gay male, and lesbian relationships using relationship records from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally representative longitudinal study of adolescents in the United States. The eligible sample included 11,941 sexual relationships; analyses of physical IPV were based on 5,868 relationships with usable IPV data, with adjusted logistic regression models estimated using 5,617 complete cases. Physical IPV was measured using four behaviorally specific indicators of aggression and victimization. Group differences were examined using chi-square tests, analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, income, and educational attainment. Physical IPV was reported in 25.98% of heterosexual relationships, 26.42% of gay male relationships, and 26.00% of lesbian relationships. No statistically significant association between relationship type and physical IPV involvement was detected after adjustment for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Although the observed prevalence estimates were numerically similar across relationship types, the relatively small same-sex subsamples limit precision and preclude ruling out potentially meaningful differences. The absence of a statistically significant association is compatible with theoretical perspectives emphasizing factors that operate across relationship types, although the study does not directly test competing theoretical mechanisms.