Minority Stress and Intimate Partner Violence Among Sexual and Gender Minorities Assigned Female at Birth

• Published in: Psychology of violence 2023-05, Vol.13 (3), p.239-247
• Main Authors: Sarno, Elissa L., Newcomb, Michael E., Whitton, Sarah W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coercion; Female; Homosexuality (Attitudes Toward); Human; Intimate Partner Violence; Microaggression; Minority Stress; Partners; Sexual Orientation; Victimization
• ISSN: 2152-0828; 2152-081X
• DOI: 10.1037/vio0000466

Objective: Sexual and gender minorities assigned female at birth (SGM-AFAB) experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using multiwave longitudinal data, the present study tested the following associations of minority stress and IPV among SGM-AFAB: concurrent within person (i.e., whether changes in minority stress co-occur with changes in IPV), prospective within person (i.e., whether changes in minority stressors precede changes in IPV), and between persons (i.e., whether individuals who experience more minority stress, on average, experience more IPV). Method: Data were from Waves 1 to 7 (spanning 3.5 years) of a longitudinal cohort study of 488 young SGM-AFAB. At each wave, participants reported on SGM victimization, sexual orientation microaggressions, internalized heterosexism, and five types of IPV for up to three partners in the past 6 months. Results: Controlling for other minority stress experiences, microaggressions showed concurrent within-person associations with two types of IPV victimization (psychological and coercive control) and three types of IPV perpetration (psychological, physical, and sexual), and between-persons associations with psychological IPV victimization and coercive control victimization and perpetration. Microaggressions also had a significant prospective within-persons association with SGM-specific IPV perpetration. SGM victimization showed no unique within-person associations with IPV but, between persons, was associated with all types of IPV victimization (except coercive control), and psychological and sexual IPV perpetration. Internalized heterosexism was not associated with any IPV outcome. Conclusions: Minority stress, particularly distal stressors, appear to contribute to risk for IPV among SGM-AFAB. Clinicians working with SGM-AFAB individuals in relationships may benefit from screening for experiences of minority stress.