Domestic violence is a term one has heard of numerous times. It is not a newfound concept and continues to affect not only victims and those in the household but those outside of the home it occurs in as well. Much research has been carried out on witnesses of domestic violence in the home. The first section of this thesis will discuss the impact of domestic violence directly on victims of the abuse. This may assist in understanding the impact on witnesses of the abuse. The second section of this thesis will conduct a literature review on these witnesses who are often children and teenagers. It will discuss the effects of domestic violence on these children; whether it be mentally, physically, emotionally, or in any other form. While much research has been conducted on children and teenagers, there has not been much research conducted on young adult witnesses of domestic violence. Many young adults share their home with their parents in current times and some will have most likely witnessed some form of domestic violence in their home. The third section of this thesis will offer a proposal to understand the effects of domestic violence on these particular witnesses to answer whether the effects are similar to the younger aged witnesses. A questionnaire is attached to ask questions that may be used to initiate research and collect data.

Psychological and sociological studies have indicated that same-sex relationships form at faster rates than their different-sex counterparts. Studies on the temporal progression of same-sex relationships suggest that same-sex relationships advance through relationship stage models at faster rates than different-sex relationships. Given this, the purpose of this study is to explore the temporal progression of same-sex and different-sex intimate partner violence (IPV) and discover if the faster development of same-sex relationships is exhibited within same-sex IPV. The study was led by the following questions: Do same-sex relationships experience IPV earlier than different-sex relationships? Do same-sex relationships progress through the cycle of violence at faster rates than different-sex relationships? The present study surveyed 35 individuals who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) in at least one romantic relationship. Participants included 20 heterosexuals, 8 lesbians, and 7 gay males. The present findings indicate that same-sex relationships experience IPV earlier in their relationship than different-sex relationships. Accordingly, results suggest that IPV is presented earlier within lesbian relationships than any other romantic relationship; gay relationships and different-sex relationships follow after. Data analysis also affirms that same-sex relationships transition faster into Lenore Walker’s tension building phase and acute explosion phase than different-sex relationships. Overall, revealing that the rapid progression of same-sex relationships can be witnessed within violent outcomes as well.