Transgender Emerging Adults Reporting Complex Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence: A Latent Profile Analysis of Factors Associated with Vulnerability

Abstract Purpose The present study described associations between profile membership, based on lifetime experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and three conceptually relevant groups of variables hypothesized to facilitate vulnerability to IPV among emerging adults: Risky substance use, lifetime experiences of adversity, and dysfunctional relationship characteristics. Methods An ethnically and racially diverse sample of U.S. transgender adults ( N = 248, age M = 22.61 years) were surveyed using the CloudResearch participant recruitment platform. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to model the optimum number of underlying groups of participants, based on their self-reported lifetime experiences of psychological control, physical violence, and sexual violence by romantic or sexual partners. Results Four profiles were identified: High All IPV Scales, Low All IPV Scales, High Psychological/Physical IPV, and High Sexual IPV. Significant between-profile differences in dependent variables varied by variable domain. However, members of the small High All IPV Scales profile reported the highest mean scores for all indicators of risky substance use and lifetime adversity and very high mean scores for relational aggression and relational victimization. Conclusions There was substantial heterogeneity in transgender emerging adults’ experiences of IPV. More complex patterns of lifetime IPV were significantly associated with more severe patterns of risky substance use, lifetime adversity and forms of conflict in intimate relationships. The information generated in this descriptive study may be used to inform tailored counseling interventions for transgender emerging adults by integrating into IPV risk reduction initiatives detailed information regarding factors that facilitate client vulnerability to IPV.