The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #39228

Tracey L. Rogers, PhD, Department of Research and Evaluation, Fenway Community Health, 16 Haviland St, Boston, MA 02115, 617-927-6033, trogers@fenwayhealth.org and Sara B. Kimmel, MA, Department of Counseling Psychology, School of Education, Boston College, Campion Hall Room 309, Chestnut Hill, MA 02462.

Although the clinical literature contains concurring reports of the phenomena of “multiple victimization”, few studies have documented its existence. The following study examined rates of four types of victimization in a sample of gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals who sought care at an LGBT community health center. Incidence of domestic violence, anti-gay violence, childhood physical abuse and childhood sexual abuse were recorded. Findings indicated that bisexuals in this clinical population were significantly more likely than homosexuals to be victims of three of the four categories of violence. Over 50% of LGBT persons who were victims of domestic violence, and almost 60% of those who had been sexually harmed as a child, had also been physically harmed as children. Over 70% of those who were victims of sexual or physical harm as a child, or domestic violence, were also victims of homophobic attacks. Additional rates were calculated to determine incidence of multiple victimization. Results indicated that 4.9% of the sample had been a victim of all four forms of violence and up to 8.9% had been a victim of three out of four of the types of violence. These findings indicate that clinicians working with the LGBT population need to consider the impact of the overlap of multiple victimization experiences in assessment and treatment. Implications for future research are discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will be able to

• Identify the primary form of violence encountered by LGBT persons
• Understand the different rates of violence among different subgroups of the LGBT community
• Describe the interrelationships of different forms of violence experienced by the LGBT community

Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Fenway Community Health, Boston, MA
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.