Interpersonal Violence Victimization and Attributions Among Black LGBTQ+ Young People: Associations with Behavioral Health Indicators

This study responds to calls for research on victimization experiences, attributions for these experiences, and their health effects among subgroups of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) young people who face disproportionate intersectional discrimination. Participants included a nationwide, U.S. sample of 125 Black LGBTQ+ young people aged 16 to 26 (M = 21.8 years) who completed a cross-sectional survey examining interpersonal violence victimization, bias-based attributions for victimization experiences, and health indicators. Interpersonal victimization was common: 32.0% experienced repeated harassment, 36.8% a physical/sexual threat, 28.0% a physical attack, 56.0% forced sexual contact, and 52.0% polyvictimization (two or more types of victimization). Being threatened with physical/sexual harm was significantly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, suicide ideation, and substance use; forced sexual activity/touching was associated with suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and substance use; and polyvictimization was associated with depressive symptoms, substance use, and suicide ideation and attempts. Attributing victimization to racism or intersectional discrimination based on racism and heterosexism/cisgenderism was associated with greater depressive symptoms and suicide ideation, and attributing victimization to heterosexism/cisgenderism, intersectional discrimination, or misogyny was associated with substance use. To reduce interpersonal violence, address bias-based attributions for victimization, and advance health equity among Black LGBTQ+ young people, we need structural and community/interpersonal level interventions addressing racism, heterosexism, sexism, and cisgenderism, and individual level interventions that help young people cope with bias-based victimization to prevent internalized stigma.