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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sociol.
Sec. Gender, Sex and Sexualities
Volume 9 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1466984

Myths and Misconceptions of Intimate Partner Violence among Sexual and Gender Minorities: A Qualitative Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Stefan Kurbatfinski Stefan Kurbatfinski 1Nicole Letourneau Nicole Letourneau 1*Susanne Marshall Susanne Marshall 1Jason Novick Jason Novick 1Keira Griggs Keira Griggs 1Dawn McBride Dawn McBride 2Arielle Perrotta Arielle Perrotta 1Morgan Daye Morgan Daye 3Carrie Sagesse Carrie Sagesse 4Kendra Nixon Kendra Nixon 5
  • 1 University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
  • 2 University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
  • 3 Rowan House, Calgary, Canada
  • 4 Sagesse, Calgary, Canada
  • 5 University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV), referring to different forms of violence or abuse between two or more intimate partners, negatively impacts physical and mental health, performance in various settings, and familial functioning, leading to long-term adverse outcomes. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals tend to experience similar or greater frequencies of IPV compared to their cisheterosexual counterparts. Stigma and discrimination toward sexual and gender diversity can lead to myths and misconceptions about relationship dynamics among SGM individuals, which can contribute to IPV occurrence within the community. This study sought to: 1) develop a compendium of myths and misconceptions that SGM individuals exposed to IPV and relevant service providers shared they encountered; 2) describe the impacts of these myths and misconceptions on SGM individuals experiencing IPV;and 3) make recommendations to address these myths and misconceptions. Methods: This qualitative study used data from a larger project focused on SGM IPV where SGM individuals who experienced IPV (n=18) and service providers who supported SGM individuals experiencing IPV (n=8) were interviewed using semi-structured formats. Thematic content analysis and inductive approaches were used to identify and organize findings into themes and subcategories. Findings: Five major themes related to SGM IPV myths and misconceptions were identified, touching on aspects including, but not limited to, SGM IPV prevalence, prescribed gender roles and expectations, and societal factors. Impacts and recommendations are also discussed. Significance: This appears to be the very first in-depth study describing myths and misconceptions that SGM individuals and relevant service providers have encountered in regard to SGM IPV, helping to promote understanding of SGM intimate partner relationships with particular relevance to public health and social services policies.

    Keywords: Myths, misconceptions, intimate partner violence, sexual and gender minority, qualitative research

    Received: 22 Aug 2024; Accepted: 02 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Kurbatfinski, Letourneau, Marshall, Novick, Griggs, McBride, Perrotta, Daye, Sagesse and Nixon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Nicole Letourneau, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.