The same elements of hierarchy of power, ownership, entitlement and control exist in lesbian family relationships. No one deserves to be battered. Lesbians who have been abused have much more difficulty finding appropriate support than straight women. Abuse can be physical, sexual, verbal behavior tocoerce or humiliate, emotional or psychological. No one assumes straight abuse is mutual.
Abuse often occurs in a cyclic fashion.
The purpose of the abuse is to maintain control and power over one's partner. The abused partner feels alone, isolated, afraid and usually convinced that the abuse was somehow her fault or could have been avoided if only she had known what to do. To complain about lesbian abuse is to reinforce the stereotype that lesbians are sick. No one would claim that straight relationships in general are mentally unstable because there is abuse in some. The abuser often blames the victim for the battering episodes.