19/11/2025
Tabitha White
By Jake Neller
Understandably, domestic abuse is now widely recognised as a critical social issue. However, violence and aggression within relationships from the LGBTQ+ community remains underreported and frequently misunderstood within the Criminal Justice System. The prevalence of domestic abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships is consistent with, and sometimes higher than, rates of domestic abuse in heterosexual relationships. For example, across multiple surveys conducted in the UK, 25% of lesbian and bisexual women, 40% of gay and bisexual men and 28% of trans people reported having experienced domestic abuse at some point in their lives. This is comparable to that of heterosexual relationships, where 30.3% of women and 21.7% of men reported having experienced domestic abuse in their lifetime. Despite these figures being relatively similar, domestic abuse in LGBTQ+ communities appears to be overlooked, so much so that with domestic abuse interventions, they are an underrepresented and hard to reach community.
Whilst many of the behaviours that characterise domestic abuse in intimate relationships, such as aggression, emotional manipulation and coercive control, are present across all types of relationships, abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships often involves distinct dynamics. Perpetrators may use a partner’s gender or sexual identity as a form of control, by threatening to “out” them to family, friends, employers or their wider community. Compounding this is the internalised stigma victims within LGBTQ+ relationships often experience, causing confusion as to whether their experiences have been abusive. The absence of LGBTQ+ relationships in the discourse on domestic abuse can obscure recognition and reporting, both by professionals and by those experiencing abuse.
Domestic abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships is widely understood to be underreported, as victims often face barriers to seeking support or engaging with the criminal justice system. Fear of discrimination, or of not believing believed by professionals and their own communities, often leads many to remain silent. Others may distrust criminal justice and law enforcement systems due to previous homophobia and other forms of marginalisation. Moreover, some individuals may worry that disclosing abuse will reinforce harmful stereotypes about same-sex relationships. Additionally, the lack of inclusive LGBTQ+ spaces, alongside risk assessments and interventions informed by research onheterosexual relationships, can cause LGBTQ+ individuals to feel unseen and unsupported. Overcoming these barriers requires awareness and an intentional commitment from criminal justice professionals to ensure equitableaccess to justice.
Experiencing these barriers can leave LGBTQ+ individuals feeling isolated and trapped in cycles of abuse that often escalate over time and are difficult to get out of without the right support. For many LGBTQ+ individuals, a lack of adequate support extends to family systems, where they can continue to experience prejudices, rejection or even abuse. A recent study found that 30% of LGBTQ+ individuals reported experiencing domestic abuse from a family member or someone close to them. This could be why research suggests that LGBTQ+ victims are more likely to experience mental health challenges including depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and are more likely to have attempted suicide compared to non-LGBTQ+ victims. The impact is often even more profound for those who also belong to other marginalised groups, for example, research indicates that 17% of LGBTQ+ individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds experienced domestic abuse in the last year. This isn’t to minimise the trauma experienced by non-LGBTQ+ victims, but rather to highlight a large group of victims, and perpetrators, who remain underrepresented in domestic abuse conversations and service responses.
So, what can we do, as professionals, to ensure fair and equitable access to justice for members of the LGBTQ+ community? At a micro-level, we can begin with inclusive interviewing and documentation that avoid gendered assumptions and use neutral language, such as referring to someone’s ‘partner’ to avoid mislabelling. Furthermore, tools and interventions, such as risk assessments and programmes, need to be developed in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ community to reflect the specific dynamics and nuances present in these relationships. At Red Snapper Managed Services, for example, we redeveloped our Domestic Abuse Perpetrators Programme, in collaboration with members of the LGBTQ+ community, to create a standalone programme for same sex perpetrators that addresses topics unique to LGBTQ+ relationships. Finally, supporting both victims and perpetrators from the LGBTQ+ community must be embedded within organisational policy, with every employee receiving awareness training. Recognising and responding effectively to same-sex domestic abuse is not an optional extra; it’s central to delivering justice for all.