Same-sex domestic violence is just as big of an issue as heterosexual domestic violence, but it doesn’t get the attention because it is under-reported, City of Milton Municipal Judge Kris Koeffler said.
“Statistics show that 15 to 20 percent of heterosexual couples have domestic violence problems,” Koeffler said. “That number is about 10-15 percent with same-sex couples.”

Last week, UW-Whitewater hosted an event to raise awareness about same-sex domestic violence.
Leadership Advisor in the Office of Career and Leadership Development Christine Hollar said the same-sex domestic violence is under-reported due to the stigma or taboo surrounding the title of same-sex couples.
Koeffler said the rate of domestic violence is higher in a two-male couple than a two-female couple.
Hollar said she decided to organize the event because a student came to her asking her questions on how to deal with two same-sex friends in a relationship who she believed same-sex domestic violence was taking place.
Hollar said there are signs one can look for if they suspect domestic violence.
“As with any relationship where there is domestic violence, [same-sex or heterosexual], there is always one person trying to have power or control over the other,” Hollar said. “One person feels they have the right to control the other person.”
According to familyofwoodstocking.org, an organization dedicated to providing crisis intervention, information, prevention, and support services, there are several non-physical signs of same-sex abuse.
Some of these signs include being afraid of a partner’s temper, emotional degradation, one partner blaming the other for failures in the relationship, and forced sexual acts.
Hollar said the issue is important for UW-Whitewater because of the growing LGBTQ population on campus. She said discounting same-sex domestic violence is doing the LGBTQ community a disservice.
Although the turnout at the presentation was small, it was beneficial because it made it easier to talk about a difficult issue, Hollar said.
Koeffler and Hollar said if someone suspects domestic abuse in any relationship they should go to the authorities such as a Residence Hall Director or the UW-Whitewater Campus Police.
“We have great resources on this campus,” Hollar said. “The UW-Whitewater Campus Police, the University Health and Counseling Services and the Winther Counseling Center are some of the places students can go with questions and concerns. [Campus authorities] want to be proactive with these issues rather than reactive.”