ABSTRACT
A social exchange/social control theoretical framework was used to organize people understanding of battering in lesbian relationships. Violence among lesbian and gay couples has largely been ignored by family violence researchers, clinical practitioners are well aware of the fact that partner abuse is not limited to heterosexual relationships. C. M. Renzetti found that lesbian batterers tended to be overly dependent on their partners and resorted to violence in an attempt to inhibit their partners' efforts to be independent. The literature review provides an overview of abuse in lesbian relationships. Few empirical studies have examined the extent and nature of violence in lesbian relationships. Lesbians who were victims of childhood abuse will report higher levels of physical abuse and verbal aggression than those who reported no early childhood victimization. Each woman completed a questionnaire requesting information about the nature of her intimate relationship and her experiences of conflict and violence.
