Double jeopardy: Intimate partner violence vulnerability among emerging adult women through lenses of race and sexual orientation

Abstract

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a public health concern for women age 18-25. While much is known about the IPV risk and experiences of heterosexual women, little is known about the IPV risk and experiences of their LGBTQ + counterparts and any contributions of multiple marginalization in such risk. This study examines the emotional, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) vulnerability of emerging adult college women with and without multiple minority statuses (e.g., women with both racial/ethnic and sexual minority identities). Participants: Participants were 9,435 women ages 18-25 from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA). Results: Findings demonstrate that being a sexual minority increases risk vulnerability for all forms of IPV, regardless of race. Conclusions: The risk for college women with multiple marginalized identities is exponentially greater than either their White or heterosexual counterparts. Implications for colleges/universities, university counseling centers and professionals, and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords:

• College women
• dating violence
• intimate partner violence
• LGBTQ
• minority

Acknowledgements

The opinions, findings, and conclusions presented/reported in this article/presentation are those of the author(s) and are in no way meant to represent the corporate opinions, views, or policies of the ACHA (ACHA). ACHA does not warrant nor assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information presented in this article/presentation.