In 1994, The London Battered Women's Advocacy Centre developed the publication Assisting Abused Lesbians: A Guide for Health Professionals and Service Providers. The goals of this resource were: to provide information about woman abuse, specifically focusing on lesbians in abusive intimate relationships; to assist those working in the health professions in responding to lesbians in a sensitive and appropriate manner; and to challenge the assumptions and myths that negatively influence responses to lesbians and lesbian battering. This publication was one part of a concerted effort to improve the community response and make our service more accessible and responsive to lesbians who are victims of violence in intimate relationships. While recognizing that the vast majority of women are abused at the hands of men, LBWAC became committed to pro-actively serving lesbians who were victims of violence from their partners.
Improving our response to battered lesbians demanded that LBWAC become more comprehensive in its analysis of woman abuse. Existing policies and practices needed to be adapted to be fully inclusive. Pro-active advertising to the lesbian community was necessary to identify LBWAC as lesbian positive and an agency ready to address lesbian battering. Several areas of our work developed as a result of increasing our response to lesbians in the London community. At the Intake stage, every woman is asked about her abuser in gender neutral terms. At the end of the intake appointment, women are asked (if they come out) if they would prefer to see a lesbian counsellor. LBWAC has hired lesbian staff and incorporated anti-heterosexism training into all of our volunteer and staff training. LBWAC provides a workplace with policies that support lesbian staff.
Most often, LBWAC offers lesbians individual counselling sessions and advocacy sessions, as LBWAC does not have the numbers to run groups. As well, group work in a small, close-knit community might be problematic. Lesbian clients have the option of attending a group with heterosexually identified women. The group co-facilitators make a point of providing examples that include lesbian battering in all groups. We have also adapted The Wheel of Power and Control and the Wheel of Equality, which we use with clients, to include tactics used in lesbian battering relationships.
LBWAC has had several positive outcomes from providing service to lesbians who were battered. One outcome is a more comprehensive assessment of abuse. LBWAC defines woman abuse as systematic and intentional tactics to maintain power and control. So, when women say, "I hit back-I yell too!", we help her to look at the intention behind the tactics. We try to look at who is the one who is fearful and who alters her behaviour. Usually we are able to determine that one partner is afraid and alters her behaviour and one does not. With this expanded definition, we are able to differentiate between assault and mutual battery.
We are clear as an organization about our approach and have worked at dispelling myths and challenging ourselves to respond more comprehensively to lesbians.
Resource details:
By: Bina Osthoff, Program Director at the London Battered Women's Advocacy Centre
Type/Format of Resource: Article
Category/Topic of interest: Woman Abuse; Same Sex Abuse
Population Group: Victims / Survivors; GLBT
Language of Resource: English
Year of Publication: 2006
Contact Information:
Program Manager
Springtide Resources
t- 416-968-3422
f- 416-968-2026
tty- 1-866-863-7868
info@springtideresources.com
http://www.springtideresources.com
