Extending Gender Beyond Heterosexual Couples: A Comparative Analysis of Weapon Use and Injury in Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Intimate Partner Violence

Feminist scholarship argues that male violence against females represents the most prevalent and injurious form of intimate partner violence (IPV); emerging research, however, suggests that IPV in same-sex relationships is similarly common and serious, patterns often overlooked in existing theory. Using NIBRS data and multinomial logistic regression, we examine how offender-victim gender dyads shape offense dynamics. Among other patterns, findings indicate: (a) firearms are disproportionately used in male-female incidents and (b) incidents involving male perpetrators are associated with more severe injury, regardless of victim gender. These findings highlight the importance of extending gender analysis in IPV theory beyond heteronormative frameworks.