Although much is known about most forms of family violence, there has been little research in the area of female same-sex interpersonal violence (IPV). Especially rare is information about female perpetrators of IPV. In order to understand the experiences of female perpetrators, I propose a qualitative study using in-depth interviews and an interpretive approach to data analysis based on symbolic interactionism, called Interpretive Interactionism. The purpose is to describe the lived experience of former female perpetrators of same-sex IPV. Using purposeful and snowball sampling techniques, 10 or more female perpetrators of diverse racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds will be recruited and interviewed either face-to-face or by telephone. The transcribed interviews will be simultaneously coded and interpreted. The data will be carefully examined to better understand the lived experiences of each participant, the central themes expressed among participants, and the personal epiphanies the study participants reveal during the interviews. The findings will be used to establish possible risk and protective factors for violence within same-sex intimate relationships, ultimately leading to better intervention and primary prevention in this population. ? ?
