Title

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 Date

1-1-2010

Publication Title

Violence and Victims

Volume

25

Issue

4

First Page

536

Last Page

552

DOI

10.1891/0886-6708.25.4.536

Keywords

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

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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