Sexual Minorities and Violence

Research has consistently shown that sexual minorities across the globe are at an increased risk of violent victimization, including child abuse, bullying, harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, murder, and bias crime victimization. In some cases, bias, motive, or prejudice can be identified as the cause of the crime, such as when people wait outside gay-identified areas (e.g., gay bars) in order to victimize gay people. In other cases, such as child abuse, or sexual assault when sexual orientation is often unknown, the reasons behind the higher rates of victimization among sexual minorities compared with heterosexuals are unclear. The current entry examines the characteristics and prevalence of violence against sexual minorities; addresses factors that increase violence risk; and provides description of known perpetrators of violence against ...