Understanding the relationship practices of abusive partners in same sex and/or trans relationships and their implications for theory and practice.

近年来，英国已经认识到家庭暴力发生在同性和/或跨性别关系中，一个平行的新兴研究机构已经开始探索和发展对这种情况发生的方式和原因的理解，以及受害者/幸存者是否以及如何寻求帮助。首席研究员（PI）和联合研究员（Co-I）都对英国这方面知识的发展做出了重要贡献，PI和Co-I在两个不同的项目中对同性关系中虐待的受害者/幸存者进行了深入的定性研究，PI还共同进行了第一次关于同性关系中家庭暴力的全面全国调查。然而，尽管有越来越多的研究，却没有针对同性和/或跨性别关系中施暴者的专门研究，因此，几乎没有证据可以作为开发解决他们行为的服务的基础。本研究项目旨在通过开展一项混合方法研究来探索对同性和/或跨性别关系中施虐者的虐待行为和相关求助行为的理解，从而启动这一过程；以及那些可能合理地期望与他们一起工作的实践者的理解。联合政府的《暴力侵害妇女和女童行为行动计划》（2011年）明确指出，预防、问责和康复是消除暴力侵害妇女和女童行为的核心；虽然大多数暴力的受害者/幸存者是异性恋妇女和女孩，但家庭暴力发生在同性关系中。这意味着需要确定不同的方法，为那些在同性和/或跨性别关系中遭受虐待的人提供适当的回应。为了开展这方面的研究，我们将利用关于异性恋犯罪者的现有知识，以便进行跨性别和性向的比较。在研究的第一阶段，将会进行一项定量调查，这项调查将会以一个现有的、经过测试的、可靠的调查工具为基础，而调查工具是由PI共同设计的。这一规定将被修改，以使其更合适，并针对那些在同性和/或跨性别关系中遭受虐待的人。后续的定性访谈将对从调查中招募的志愿者进行，以从使用虐待行为的伴侣的角度探索更深入的虐待关系。这些访谈的重点将是确定他们如何理解自己的行为，以及他们是否以及如何寻求帮助。在第二阶段，将与相关从业人员进行焦点小组和个人访谈，以寻求他们对第一阶段实地调查的主要发现的看法，并探讨他们对哪些服务可能适合同性和/或跨性别关系中的犯罪者的理解，以及提供此类服务的任何障碍。Respect是全国异性恋家庭暴力施暴者从业人员协会，它将是促进招募曾与异性恋家庭暴力施暴者打交道的经验丰富的从业人员的关键。然而，其他的招募途径也将被使用，例如通过诺丁汉家庭暴力论坛，东北LGBT家庭暴力论坛和全国LGBT家庭暴力论坛。这项研究预计将产生的主要成果是建立一个关于同性和/或跨性别关系中虐待伴侣及其寻求帮助情况的知识库，并为正在处理和制定针对同性和/或跨性别关系中虐待伴侣干预措施的从业人员提供建议；以及为研究同性和/或跨性别关系中的家庭暴力施暴者这一复杂而高度敏感的任务开发一种方法。

In recent years in the UK there has been recognition that domestic violence takes place in same sex and/or trans relationships and a parallel and emerging body of research which has begun to explore and develop understandings about how and why this occurs, and whether and how victim/survivors seek help. The principal investigator (PI) and co-investigator (Co-I) have both made key contributions towards the development of this knowledge in the UK, with the PI and Co-I having conducted in-depth qualitative research with victims/survivors of abuse in same-sex relationships within two different projects, and the PI also having co-conducted the first comprehensive national survey of domestic violence in same-sex relationships. However, despite this growing body of research, there has been no dedicated research on those who are the abusive partners in same sex and/or trans relationships, and consequently there has been little evidence available on which to base the development of services to address their behaviours. This research project aims to start this process by conducting a mixed method study to explore understandings about abusive and associated help-seeking behaviours by partners who are abusive in same sex and/or trans relationships; and the understandings of practitioners who might reasonably expect to work with them. The coalition government's Violence Against Women and Girls Action Plan (2011) makes clear that prevention, accountability and rehabilitation are core to eradicating violence against women and girls; and that though most victim/survivors of violence are heterosexual women and girls that domestic violence occurs within same sex relationships. This means that different methods need to be identified to provide appropriate responses to those who are abusive in same sex and/or trans relationships. In order to develop this aspect of the research we will draw on existing knowledge about heterosexual perpetrators in order to draw comparisons across gender and sexuality. In the first phase of the research, a quantitative survey will be undertaken which will be based on an existing, tested, and reliable survey tool co-designed by the PI. This will be amended to make it appropriate and targetted at those who have been abusive in same sex and/or trans relationships. Follow-up qualitative interviews will be conducted with volunteers recruited from the survey to explore more in-depth accounts of abusive relationships from the point of view of the partner who has used abusive behaviours. The focus in these interviews will be to identify how they make sense of their own behaviours and whether and how they seek help. In the second phase, focus groups and individual interviews will be conducted with relevant practitioners in order to seek their perspectives on the key findings from the first phase of the fieldwork and to explore their understandings of what services might be appropriate for perpetrators in same sex and/or trans relationships, and any barriers to offering such services. Respect, the national pracitioners association for those working with perpetrators of heterosexual domestic violence will be key here to facilitating recruitment of experienced practitioners who have worked with perpetrators of heterosexual domestic violence. However, other routes to recruitment will also be used, for example through the Nottingham Domestic Violence Forum, the North East LGBT Domestic Violence Forum and the national LGBT Domestic Violence Forum. Key outputs expected to result from this research are a knowledge base about abusive partners in same sex and/or trans relationships and their help-seeking and recommendations for practitioners who are working with and developing interventions for abusive partners in same-sex and/or trans relationships; and the development of a methodology for the complex and highly sensitive task of research perpetrators of domestic violence in same-sex and/or trans relationships.