Prevalence and risk correlates of intimate partner violence among a multisite cohort of young transgender women

Purpose: Young transgender women (YTW) may experience disparate rates and distinct forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) in comparison with cisgender individuals. YTW also may experience high rates of minority stressors, including transgender-related victimization, discrimination, and mistreatment related to their gender identity and/or expression. The present study examined the prevalence and risk correlates of IPV among a sample of YTW. Methods: Participants were a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 204 YTW ages 16-29 years from Chicago, Illinois and Boston, Massachusetts. Participants completed assessments of IPV, childhood abuse, and experiences with minority stressors, including transgender-related victimization and discrimination. Results: Prevalence of IPV was high among this sample (42%), including experiencing distinct forms of IPV that were related to gender identity. Experiencing stressors was also high among this sample, including experiencing childhood abuse and minority stressors (i.e., transgender-related victimization and day-to-day unfair treatment and discrimination), all of which were associated with a greater risk for IPV. Conclusion: Our findings support the need for researchers to continue to examine the risk correlates of IPV among transgender individuals and to examine how the relationship between IPV and minority stressors may relate to coping strategies and mental health outcomes. Our findings have important implications for domestic violence service providers and other health professionals and highlight that providers should be trained to support survivors with histories of abuse and victimization related to gender identity and/or expression.