Discrimination and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among a Convenience Sample of LGBT Individuals in Latin America.

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at high rates, even bidirectionally, yet no studies to date have investigated IPV among LGBT individuals in Latin America. Thus, this study explored discrimination and IPV victimization and perpetration among LGBT individuals in Latin America. Participants (N = 99) were recruited for this online, cross-sectional survey via convenience sampling and completed measures of LGBT discrimination and lifetime IPV victimization and perpetration. Results indicated that 60.61% of the sample reported at least one form of IPV victimization at some point in their life, and 56.57% reported at least one form of perpetration. Psychological aggression was the most common type of IPV victimization and perpetration. Physical assault victimization was positively correlated with work/school heterosexism. Perpetration and victimization of physical assault, psychological aggression, and sexual coercion were correlated with the "other" heterosexism subscale. Cluster analysis revealed a three-cluster solution: participants in Cluster 1 were high in IPV victimization and perpetration; Cluster 2 participants were low in IPV victimization and perpetration; and Cluster 3 participants were moderate on psychological aggression perpetration and victimization, but low on the other three forms of IPV. Cluster 1 participants had a higher score for the "other" heterosexism subscale than Cluster 2. This study highlights the need to address certain aspects of IPV, such as bidirectionality, in clinical encounters such as safety planning. Future research should examine the role of Latinx identity in LGBT individuals' experiences of discrimination and IPV.