Intimate partner violence among gay & bisexual men: Social context & risk taking

描述（由申请人提供）：亲密伴侣暴力（IPV）被公共卫生专业人员广泛认为是一个严重的问题，有可能产生广泛的负面后果：然而，大多数关于亲密伴侣暴力的学术研究都侧重于男性对女性的暴力，目前的研究工作侧重于预防异性关系中的暴力。然而，越来越多的证据表明，同性关系中存在相当程度的IPV。尽管在过去的二十年里，女权主义者和LGBT学者的研究有了相当大的增长，但同性暴力并没有得到充分的解决，尤其是在男性伴侣中。少数研究表明，美国同性伴侣中IPV的流行程度与异性伴侣相似。现有的关于同性伴侣间IPV的研究在方法上存在一些挑战。大多数研究都集中在女同性恋者身上，而男同性恋者和双性恋者往往被排除在外。将LGBT个体招募到IPV研究中对研究人员构成了挑战，主要是因为他们认为披露性取向存在困难；因为之前的许多研究都使用了通过LGBT场所和出版物招募的方便样本。本研究旨在研究发生在同性男性关系中的IPV的类型，检验IPV与同性男性关系中的性冒险之间的关系，并确定IPV的经历如何受到男同性恋者社会网络和个人社会背景的影响。这项研究是在乔治亚州的亚特兰大进行的，这个城市有相当多的同性恋和双性恋男性。拟议的研究包括两个阶段。第一项研究将采用焦点小组讨论的方式来确定发生在同性男性关系中的IPV形式，并检查IPV与性冒险行为之间的联系。第二项研究将对乔治亚州亚特兰大的1000名自认为同性恋和双性恋的男性进行调查。该调查将收集有关暴力的经历和实施、种族主义和同性恋恐惧症的经历以及社会网络构成的数据。分析的重点是与经历/实施暴力有关的因素，以及暴力与不使用避孕套之间的联系。这一新信息有可能大大增加我们对研究不足人群中IPV的理解，并为制定干预措施提供信息，以减少IPV和HIV在美国的传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized widely by public health professionals as a severe problem with the potential to produce a broad range of negative consequences: however, most academic studies of IPV have focused on male-to-female violence, and research efforts currently focus on the prevention of violence in heterosexual relationships. However, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that there are substantial levels of IPV in same-sex relationships. Despite considerable increase in feminist and LGBT scholarship over the past two decades, same-gender violence has not been adequately addressed, particularly in male couples. A small number of studies have suggested that the prevalence of IPV among same-sex couples in the US is similar to that seen in heterosexual couples. Existing studies of IPV among same-sex couples have a number of methodological challenges. The majority has focused on lesbians, often to the exclusion of gay and bisexual men and the recruitment of LGBT individuals into studies of IPV has posed a challenge to researchers, due primarily to perceived difficulties in disclosing sexual orientation; as such many previous studies have used convenience samples recruited through LGBT venues and publications. The proposed research aims to examine the typologies of IPV that occur in same-sex male relationships, to examine the relationship between IPV and sexual risk-taking in same-sex male relationships, and to identify how the experience of IPV is influenced by the composition of gay men's social networks and individual social context. The research is conducted in Atlanta, GA, a city with a considerable population of gay and bisexual men. The proposed research involves two stages. The first will use focus group discussions to identify the forms of IPV that occur in same-sex male relationships, and to examine perceived links between IPV and sexual risk-taking. The second will involve a survey of 1000 self-identifying gay and bisexual men in Atlanta, GA. The survey will collect data on the experience and perpetration of violence, experience of racism and homophobia and composition of social networks. Analysis will focus on factors associated with experience/ perpetration of violence, and the link between violence and non-use of condoms. This new information has the potential to add significantly to our understanding of IPV in an under-research population, and to inform the development of interventions to reduce both IPV and HIV transmission in the US. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected from a sample of gay and bisexual men in Atlanta, GA to examine the forms of intimate partner violence that occur in same-sex male relationships. Analysis will examine how social networks and social context shape the experience of intimate partner violence in same-sex male relationships.