Intimate Partner Abuse (IPA)

A vast majority of people percieve IPA to be gender-based violence within heterosexual relationships even though empirical research shows it to exist across all relationships whether heterosexual or same-sex, and though women are significantly more likely to be physically hurt than men, men do suffer abuse at a much higher rate than percieved. Intimate partner abuse suffered in LGBTrelationships, and targeted at heterosexual men recieves very little acknowledgement, which in turn sees their needs being neglected, effectively maintianing their suffering. A 'battered' woman as access to all manner of services to escape her situation such as shelters, counselling, legal aid, housing and social services; LGBT individuals and heterosexual men have very little access to these resources, when they do atempt to seek solice they are often met with negative responses such as disbelief, homophobia, transphobia, or blatantly laughed at; even when they recieve a more positive response service providers do not know the specific needs of such individuals; although they are abused in similar ways to heterosexual women, LGBT individuals and heterosexual men have to overcome the stereotyped stigma attached to their sexuality or gender. In order to provide better services to 'hidden' victims of IPA as well as rehabilitate abusive LGBT individuals and heterosexual women society as to recognise and accept that IPA does not discriminate, anyone can be a victim or aggressor in intimate relationships, and respond to hidden victims with the same service provisions as those available to heterosexual women; futhermore, policies and legislations need to be clearer about the diversity of victimology rather than advocating 'violence against women' and service providers needs to be trained to deal with the specific requirements of these hidden victims. Society as a duty to protect and serve everyone, the declaration of human rights bill states:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks