Psychology of Violence, Vol 13(4), Jul 2023, 297-307; doi:10.1037/vio0000473
Objective: The present study examined whether sexual minority men’s experiences of sexual stigma and conformity to masculine norms predicted their perpetration of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and whether masculinity norms and sexual orientation moderated those relationships. Method: Two hundred seventy-five gay and bisexual+ (bi+) men completed online questionnaires assessing their physical IPV perpetration in their most significant recent intimate relationship, along with measures of sexual stigma and conformity to the masculine norms of winning and power over women. Results: Findings indicated that enacted stigma (i.e., heterosexist discrimination) was significantly related to physical IPV perpetration, such that higher levels of enacted stigma were associated with higher levels of physical IPV perpetration. Results also indicated that the masculine norm of winning moderated the relation between enacted stigma and IPV perpetration and between felt stigma (i.e., expectations of discrimination) and IPV perpetration. Simple slopes analyses revealed that at low levels of winning, enacted, and felt stigma were not significant predictors of perpetration, but at high levels of winning, they were significant predictors. Sexual orientation also moderated the relationship between power over women and perpetration such that power over women was a significant predictor among bi+ men but not gay men. Conclusions: The results point to the role that sexual stigma and masculinity may play in understanding sexual minority men’s physical IPV perpetration and important differences between gay and bi+ men. Preventive interventions for IPV among sexual minority men should consider the impact of heterosexist experiences and felt stigma as well as constructions of masculinity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)