Non-fatal Intimate Partner Violence Against LGB Individuals: Exploring Victims' Use of Formal and Informal Services Through Analysis of Existing Data Sources

The proposed research seeks to (1) study patterns of individual characteristics associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) involving lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals, (2) explore use of formal and informal victim services by LGB IPV victims, (3) explore the relationship between individual characteristics and victim services, and (4) assess the ability of existing data collections to study LGB IPV and victim services.

Previous research suggests LGB individuals can be at greater risk for IPV and long- and short-term harms associated with these experiences as compared to heterosexuals. This at-risk group is also understudied with regard to IPV and use of victim services. This project’s consideration of LGB IPV victims and their use of services can provide useful insights for service providers to better assist these victims. This study also explores how existing datasets inform these issues. The findings obtained can identify unmet data needs and provide a foundation for future data collections.

Two main sets of research questions shape this exploratory study. One concerns substantive issues of individual characteristics related to LGB IPV and informal and formal victim services (including use, access and barriers). The second concerns methodological issues and assesses the ability of existing data to study LGB IPV. To answer these questions, this project uses the most recent years of three existing datasets: the Uniform Crime Reporting Program’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, National Crime Victimization Survey, and National Intimate Partner and Sexual Assault Survey. Planned analyses include contingency tables and multivariate models. Each dataset will be analyzed separately. In addition to interpreting the findings individually, they will be considered together using a complementary approach to obtain a broader understanding of the underlying issues than could be gained from considering the datasets in isolation.

The expected products include those requested under this solicitation (such as archiving requisite materials and providing draft and final summary overview reports). Scholarly products will focus on a set of peer-reviewed journal articles that will examine individual characteristics associated with LGB IPV, use of victim services, barriers to victim services, and an assessment of existing data sources for studying LGB IPV. A specific goal of this project is to ensure the findings obtained are accessible to practitioners, especially victim service providers. To accomplish this aim, the National Center for Victims of Crime and a practitioner-based advisory panel will assist to identify findings of most relevance to practitioners and options for effective dissemination to practitioners. ca/ncf