A Quantitative Intersectional Exploration of Sexual Violence and Mental Health among Bi + People: Looking within and across Race and Gender

Abstract

Young bisexual people report disparities related to mental health and sexual violence compared to their heterosexual and gay/lesbian peers. However, the majority of research in these areas does not employ an intersectional design, despite evidence that health outcomes vary by race and gender within bi + populations. The goal of this paper is to provide an intersectionally-informed exploration of the prevalence of sexual violence among a diverse sample of 112 bi + people age 18–26, as well as descriptive data on stigma, mental health, and social support. Most (82%) of participants reported at least once experience of sexual violence since the age of 16. Sexual violence was positively associated with sexual stigma, anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Nonbinary participants reported greater prevalence of violence, exposure to stigma, and worse mental health outcomes relative to cisgender participants. Nonbinary BIPOC participants reported higher levels of anxiety and depression than cisgender BIPOC participants.

Keywords:

• Bisexual
• sexual violence
• young adult
• intersectionality

Additional information

Funding

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; National institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases.

Notes on contributors

Corey E. Flanders

Corey E. Flanders, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College. Their research interests focus on issues of identity and health equity, particularly as they relate to the experiences of queer and trans people. They use qualitative and quantitative approaches together with community-based research principles to understand how structural, community and individual factors impact people’s health and other lived experiences.

Mya Wright

Mya Wright, recently received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. Within her undergraduate career, she realized she had a passion for research that surrounded marginalized communities and held a yearning to amplify those voices and make sure they are heard. Upon this discovery, she worked alongside Dr. Flanders research lab and began to focus on identity development within queer populations and how intersectional identities such as individuals genders, race, religion, etc. impact their ability to synthesize their identity. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, she brings individuals experiences and individuality to the forefront of her research.

Saachi Khandpur

Saachi Khandpur is a senior at Mount Holyoke College, double majoring in psychology and politics with a certificate in reproductive health, rights, and justice. Her research interests focus on intersectional experiences of discrimination with a transnational lens, especially in relation to queer and South Asian people. She utilizes qualitative methods in accordance with community-based research principles to decolonize current literature, and create the groundwork for interventions rooted in realities.

Sara Kuhn

Sara Kuhn (she/they; BFA, University of Utah; MLIS, University of British Columbia; College Teaching Certificate, University of North Dakota) is a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of North Dakota. Her research interests center sexual violence prevention examining both perpetration of sexual violence and victimization. She is particularly interested in understanding bisexual and pansexual women’s preferences for sexual violence prevention intervention programs.

RaeAnn E. Anderson

RaeAnn E. Anderson (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2015) is currently an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Dakota. She completed her postdoctoral training at Kent State University and her bachelor’s at the University of Kansas. Her research interests are: methodological issues in sexual violence research, basic behavioral processes in sexual victimization and sexual perpetration in order to inform sexual assault risk reduction and prevention programs, respectively.

Margaret Robinson

Margaret Robinson is a member of Lennox Island First Nation who identifies as bisexual, two-spirit, and queer. Margaret works as an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University in her traditional territory of Mi’kma’ki, where she conducts research with sexual and gender minority people and holds the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Reconciliation, Gender, and Identity.

Nicole VanKim

Nicole VanKim is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her primary research area focuses on sexual orientation disparities in weight-related health, including nutrition, physical activity, weight status, and type 2 diabetes. A secondary research area explores mental health equity issues among diverse populations.