External barriers to help-seeking encountered by canadian gay and lesbian victims of intimate partner abuse: An application of the Barriers Model

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3463-5704

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Violence and Victims

Publication Date

1-1-2010

Volume

25

Issue

4

First Page

536

Last Page

552

Keywords

Accessibility of formal services, Availability of formal services, Gay and lesbian intimate partner abuse, Outness

DOI

10.1891/0886-6708.25.4.536

Abstract

While understanding of intimate partner abuse (IPA) in gay and lesbian relationships has increased within the past decade, there remain several gaps in the help-seeking research. In particular, research examining the external barriers to help-seeking encountered by gay and lesbian victims of IPA has been largely atheoretical. To address this gap, an application of The Barriers Model was undertaken. This mixed-methods study surveyed 280 gay, lesbian, and/or queer participants living in Canada. Findings revealed that victims encountered external barriers in the environment (i.e., Layer 1 of the model), such as lack of availability of gay and lesbian specifi c services. Results also suggested that barriers due to family/socialization/role expectations (i.e., Layer 2 of the model), such as concealment of sexual orientation, had an impact on help-seeking. © 2010 Springer Publishing Company.

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