Guilt, shame, and myths about intimate partner violence in lesbian couples in Catalonia

Of the 128 women who participated in this non-experimental cross-sectional study, 83 said they were or had been victims, with the majority Spanish (83.1%), with higher education (66.3%), and indicating feelings of guilt and shame (76.3%). They also recognized the existence of violence in lesbian relationships (98.7%). Only a minority of the women considered that this type of violence is less serious than that found in the heterosexual couples’ relationships (15%). The younger participants were more likely to report feelings of shame and to associate the violence with triggering factors, while women with higher levels of education tended to show greater awareness of guilt and the seriousness of the violence and to give less weight to external factors such as the consumption of substances. The results will help to improve the support resources for these women. This study has limitations and includes recommendations for future research.