Intimate partner violence among sexual minorities in Japan: exploring perceptions and experiences

Unheard Voices of LGB People in Türkiye on LGB-specific Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Analysis

Drawing upon in-depth, semistructured interviews with 26 LGB participants, we explored how LGB individuals experience IPV uniquely in Türkiye. Conducting thematic analysis, we generated four themes: (a) invalidation of sexual identity, (b) controlling sexuality and sexual behaviors, (c) disclosure of sexual orientation, and (d) binegativity. The analysis emphasizes LGB-specific power dynamics influencing IPV. A discussion is provided regarding the extent to which these four themes are specific to IPV in LGB relationships. Additionally, recommendations are offered to mental health professionals on tailoring their approaches and promoting advocacy for the needs of LGB IPV survivors.

Power and control, resistance and survival: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of the qualitative literature on intimate partner violence against transgender individuals

Transgender (trans) individuals experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at elevated levels compared to cisgender individuals. Traditional theoretical understandings of IPV as men's patriarchal domination of women, and later, broader theories in which IPV is conceptualized as the relatively privileged partner enacting domination over the relatively oppressed partner, do not fully capture the totality of IPV experiences, including how IPV is perpetrated against trans individuals. We conducted a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis of the qualitative and theoretical literatures on IPV against trans individuals (N = 37 articles and books) to generate novel IPV theory inclusive of trans individuals' experiences. We identified five major themes: (1) societal context of IPV, (2) IPV tactics and types, (3) help-seeking, (4) consequences of IPV, and (5) proposed interventions for victims. Synthesizing across themes, we offer a novel theoretical model that demonstrates how abusers can leverage structural discrimination and vulnerabilities against trans victims, regardless of the abuser's own identities. We identify individual power and control tactics abusers use, including identifying a category of IPV that we term leveraging vulnerability, which involves abusers weaponizing their own vulnerabilities to avoid accountability. Reducing IPV in trans communities requires expanding current IPV theory to include trans victims, recognition of a wider range of abuse tactics, and structural interventions that promote the respectful treatment of trans individuals. Our theoretical model of IPV "centers the margins" to make trans victims' experiences, and indeed all victims whose experiences fall outside normative scripts, more legible.

Associations between sexual identity, living with disability, bully victimisation, and HIV status and intimate partner violence among residents in Nigeria

Background

The aim of the study was to determine the associations between sexual identity, disability and HIV status and bullying victimisation, and a history of physical, emotional and sexual violence in Nigeria.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of a primary dataset generated through an online survey conducted between February 7 and 19, 2021. The 3197 participants for the primary study were recruited through snowballing. The dependent variables were physical, emotional and sexual violence. The independent variables were sexual identity (heterosexual and sexual minority), HIV status (negative, positive and unknown), bullying victimisation (yes/no) and living with disability (yes/no). A multivariate logistic regression model was developed for each form of IPV. Each model was adjusted for age, sex assigned at birth, marital status and education level.

Results

Respondents living with HIV had higher odds for physical (AOR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.46–2.76; p < 0.001), sexual (AOR: 2.17; 95%CI: 1.55–3.05; p < 0.001), and emotional (AOR: 1.59; 95%CI: 1.24–2.06; p < 0.001) violence. Also, those with history of bullying victimisation had higher odds for physical (AOR: 3.79; 95%CI: 2.86 – 5.68; p < 0.001), sexual (AOR: 3.05; 95%CI: 2.27 – 4.10; p < 0.001) and emotional (AOR: 2.66; 95%CI: 2.10 – 3.37; p < 0.001) violence. In addition, females had higher odds of physical (AOR: 1.52; 95%CI: 1.13–2.043; p < 0.001) and sexual (AOR: 1.83; 95%CI: 1.34 – 2.50; p < 0.001) violence; and respondents cohabiting (AOR: 1.95; 95%CI: 1.12 – 3.28; p = 0.012) had higher odds for emotional violence. Respondents who were married have significantly lower odds of experiencing physical (AOR: 0.66; 95%CI: 0.45 – 9.60; p = 0.029), sexual (AOR: 0.40; 95%CI: 0.26 – 0.62; p < 0.001) and emotional (AOR: 0.68; 95%CI: 0.50 – 0.93; p = 0.015) violence when compared to singles. Younger respondents also had lower odds of experiencing sexual violence (AOR: 0.97; 95%CI: 0.95–0.99; p = 0.016).

Conclusion

HIV positive status and bullying victimisation seem to increase the risk for all forms of IPV while the experience of IPV did not differ by sexual identity and disability status. The associations between age, sex, marital status and IPV may suggest moderating roles of the factors taking cognisance of the cultural context of these relationships. Future relational analysis is necessary to further understand the pathways for the associations found between the variables in this study.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14186-6.

Violence and substance use in sexual minorities: Data from the Second Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey (II BNADS)

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence of substance use and the associations between adverse early life experiences, sexual behaviour and violence in sexual minority (SM) individuals.

METHODS

The Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey is a probabilistic household survey performed in 2012, collecting data from 4067 Brazilians aged 14 years and older.

RESULTS

3.4% of the sample declared themselves as sexual minorities, 53.8% female, 66.5% single, mean age of 29.5 years (standard deviation 16.0 years). A high prevalence of alcohol dependence (15.2%) and binge drinking (22.2%) was identified in the SM group. Respondents were more likely to use crack cocaine and hallucinogens, to have been involved in child prostitution, child sexual abuse and to report suicidal ideation in the previous year. Respondents were also more likely to engage in unprotected sex compared to non-sexual minorities. Nearly one-third referred to having suffered homophobic discrimination in their lives. Respondents also reported higher rates of domestic violence (18.9%) and urban violence (18%) among the SM.

CONCLUSION

The findings reinforce that violence directed at individuals in the Brazilian SM community begins early in life and persists into adulthood when compared to non-sexual minorities. This population is also more exposed to substance use disorders.

Collective Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptomatology in Lesbians and Gay Men: A Moderated Mediation Model of Self-Stigma and Psychological Abuse

The context of stigma, in which lesbians and gay men live in most countries, exposes them to possible discrimination and promotes the internalization of negative attitudes about their own sexual orientation, which may have negative consequences for their mental health. Their psychological distress may increase when lesbians and gay men are exposed to other sources of stress such as intimate partner violence. With the aim of analyzing the relationship between these variables, this study intends to present a moderated mediation model that proposes: (a) self-stigma mediates the relationship between private collective self-esteem and depressive symptomatology; (b) receiving psychological abuse within same-sex couples moderates the relationship between self-stigma and depressive symptomatology. For this purpose we conducted an online survey with a sample of 357 Spanish lesbians and gay men. Our findings show that self-stigma mediates the relationship between private collective self-esteem and depressive symptomatology. Furthermore, participants who had higher levels of self-stigma and received more psychological abuse by the partner showed stronger negative effects on depressive symptomatology. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Violencia en parejas transexuales, transgénero e intersexuales: una revisión bibliográfica

La violencia de pareja afecta a personas transexuales, transgénero e intersexuales y así se visibiliza en investigaciones a nivel nacional e internacional. En este estudio teórico se ha llevado a cabo una revisión sistemática de las investigaciones realizadas con estos colectivos. Se realiza una revisión exhaustiva de las principales bases de datos con el fin de identificar todos los estudios relativos a esta temática. Se obtiene un total de 28 investigaciones sobre violencia en parejas transexuales, transgénero e intersexuales. De las cuales se ha analizado el tipo de muestra, el método e instrumento utilizado, así como sus principales resultados. Los resultados ponen de relieve que la aproximación de estudio más frecuentemente utilizada es la de tipo cuantitativo, especialmente centrada en el colectivo transexual. En relación a la prevalencia se observa una gran variabilidad, con un rango del 18 al 80%, constituyendo un problema de salud pública. Las mujeres trans son las que sufren más significativamente esta violencia, siendo más frecuentemente el miembro normativo de la pareja quien la ejerce. El heterosexismo y la transfobia se han identificado como factores de riesgo. Finalmente se plantea la importancia de incorporar el abordaje de la violencia en relaciones de pareja donde al menos uno de los miembros es transexual, transgénero o intersexual en los programas de prevención de violencia de género.