Abstract
PurposeSexual and gender minority adolescents report higher levels of dating violence compared with their heterosexual and cisgender peers. The objectives of the present study were to (1) identify latent profiles of dating violence; (2) examine if sexual and gender minority adolescents were particularly vulnerable to certain profiles of dating violence; and (3) explore how experiences of peer victimization, discrimination, and parental maltreatment explained this greater vulnerability. MethodsHigh school students in Grades 9 and 11 from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 87,532; mean age = 15.29 years, SD = 1.23) were asked about their sexual and gender identities, their gender nonconformity, their experiences of verbal, physical, and sexual dating violence victimization and perpetration, as well their experiences of childhood maltreatment, peer victimization, and gender-based and sexual minority status–based discrimination. ResultsMultinomial logistic regression analysis in a three-step latent class analysis procedure suggested five profiles of dating violence victimization and perpetration across the entire sample. Sexual and gender minority adolescents were generally more likely to be in classes high in dating violence victimization, perpetration, or both, compared with their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Gender nonconformity was also associated with greater risk for being in high dating violence classes. These differences, however, were generally nonsignificant when the social stressors of childhood maltreatment, peer victimization, and experiences of discrimination were accounted for. ConclusionsAlthough findings suggested greater vulnerability for dating violence among sexual and gender minority adolescents, they underscore the importance of how minority stressors generally accounted for this greater vulnerability for dating violence.
Highlights
Sexual and gender minority adolescents report higher levels of dating violence compared with their heterosexual and cisgender peers
Sexual and gender minority adolescents were generally more likely to be in classes high in dating violence victimization, perpetration, or both, compared with their heterosexual and cisgender peers
These classes were broadly similar to those found in previous studies, including a sizable low victimizationeperpetration class [5e8,11], a class characterized by higher levels of victimization but not perpetration [7,8,11], a class high on all forms of victimization and perpetration [5e8,11], a class high on verbal victimization and perpetration [5,6,8,11], and a class with moderate levels of victimization and perpetration [7,8]
Summary
Sexual and gender minority adolescents report higher levels of dating violence compared with their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Methods: High school students in Grades 9 and 11 from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (N 1⁄4 87,532; mean age 1⁄4 15.29 years, SD 1⁄4 1.23) were asked about their sexual and gender identities, their gender nonconformity, their experiences of verbal, physical, and sexual dating violence victimization and perpetration, as well their experiences of childhood maltreatment, peer victimization, and gender-based and sexual minority statusebased discrimination. Sexual and gender minority adolescents were generally more likely to be in classes high in dating violence victimization, perpetration, or both, compared with their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Gender nonconformity was associated with greater risk for being in high dating violence classes. These differences, were generally nonsignificant when the social stressors of childhood maltreatment, peer victimization, and experiences of discrimination were accounted for. Addressing discrimination and stigma based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression is critical for the safety of sexual and gender minority youth
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
