New report details the impact of assaults, coercion and control
Members of the LGBTQIA+ community have shared heartbreaking testimonies about their experiences of domestic abuse and violence in a new report aiming to shed light on the often hidden issue.
From physical and sexual assaults, to coercive control and psychological abuse, these are just some of the experiences by those who took part in a recent research project in Northern Ireland highlighting the prevalence of domestic abuse and violence with the LGBTQIA+ community.
Created by HEReNI in partnership with The Rainbow Project, Carafriend and the Department of Justice, the study has shone a light on an often hidden issue within the community and has made a number of recommendations on how it can be better addressed through support services and awareness campaigns.
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Led by Allison Newey, the report surveyed members of the LGBTQIA+ community about their experiences of domestic abuse, whether that was from an intimate partner or family member, with some taking part in detailed interviews and sharing their testimonies.
This found that in some cases certain forms abuse were more prevalent depending on who the perpetrator was, with physical violence being slightly more frequent in cases of family violence, and sexual abuse was slightly more frequent in cases of intimate partner violence.
Emotional and psychological abuse was the most commonly reported, with this being carried out equally by family members and partners. Financial abuse was also found to have occurred equally.
It also found that only one third of those who had experienced abuse reported it to the authorities or support services, with the reasons for not reporting including not recognising the situation as abusive, self blame for the abuse, and concerns of worsening the abuse.
The majority of those who took part in the research felt the current services must be reformed or amended to better support LGBTQIA+ survivors of DVA living in NI.
It has made a number of recommendations to help improve services and outcomes for survivors which include; funding for the LGBTQIA+ sector in NI to hire credible domestic abuse support workers within the sector, increased LGBTQIA+ awareness training for domestic abuse support organisations, the need for LGBTQIA+ representation in DVA public awareness campaigns, inclusion ofLGBTQIA+ relationships in NI’s relationship and sexuality education (RSE), and intersectional approaches to developing these policies.
Speaking to Belfast Live following the launch of the report at Stormont this week, Cara McCann from HEReNI said that a study of this kind has never happened in NI before and hopes that it can not only help kickstart a discussion about the issue within the LGBTQIA+ but help improve and reform support services and policies.
She said: “Domestic abuse exists within the LGBTQIA+ community just like any in Northern Ireland, but as our report shows there can be additional issues that people experience, such as threats of outing them to others or withholding medication that are unique.
“A common issue that we have found is that LGBTQIA+ people do not recognise what is happening to them as abuse, with a lack of representation in primarily heteronormative awareness campaigns having a part to play in this as people can struggle to identify with them.
“Even going to a shelter can be a difficulty as people do not know how they will be treated by those there or whether or not they will face prejudice.
“I am very grateful to everyone who took part in our research project, particularly those who shared their testimonies. They have faced some horrendous experiences but hopefully this can now be used to improve support services and increase protections for others.
“Domestic abuse is a hidden problem within our community and by putting this into the public domain I hope that we can start a discussion about the issue and push for dedicated domestic abuse services here in Northern Ireland.”
You can read the full report via this link.
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