Citation

Whitton SW, Dyar C, Mustanski B, Newcomb ME. Psychol. Women Q. 2019; 43(2): 232-249.

Affiliation

Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Society for the Psychology of Women, Division 35, American Psychological Association, Publisher SAGE Publications)

DOI

10.1177/0361684319838972

PMID

31649417

PMCID

PMC6812525

Abstract

Sexual and gender minority youth, especially those assigned female at birth, are at risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) due to minority stressors. With a sample of 352 sexual and gender minority youth assigned female at birth (age 16-32), we aimed to describe IPV in this population, including the prevalence, directionality, frequency, co-occurrence, and demographic correlates of various IPV types. Rates of past-6-month IPV were high, with victimization and perpetration of minor psychological IPV most common (64-70%); followed by severe psychological, minor physical, and coercive control (20-33%); and severe physical and sexual IPV (10-15%). For cyber abuse and IPV tactics leveraging anti-sexual minority stigma, victimization (12.5% and 15%, respectively) was more common than perpetration (8% and 6%, respectively). Most IPV was bidirectional and occurred 1-2 times in 6 months, although frequency varied considerably. Latent class analyses revealed that half of participants reported no or minimal IPV; one-third experienced multiple forms of psychological IPV (including coercive control); and 10-15% reported psychological, physical, sexual, and cyber abuse. Racial minority youth had higher rates of most IPV types than White participants. We hope study findings will inform policies and interventions to prevent IPV among gender and sexual minority youth assigned female at birth.

Language: en

Keywords

LGBT; dating violence; gender minorities; intimate partner violence; sexual minorities