Dating Violence Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Adolescents: Results from a Community Survey

Purpose: To characterize the prevalence of dating violence experienced by gay, lesbian, bisexual (GLB), and heterosexual adolescents.

Methods: Self-report surveys were collected and analyzed from 521 adolescents at a GLB youth rally. Respondents were asked about dating violence, including types of abuse, threats of "outing," and gender of abuser. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test group differences.

Results: Reports of dating violence were prevalent in all sexual orientation groups, and there were few statistically significant differences. Compared with heterosexuals and controlling for age, bisexual males had greater odds of reporting any type of abuse, and bisexual females had greater odds of experiencing sexual abuse. Controlling for age, lesbians had greater odds of being scared about their safety, compared with heterosexual females, and bisexuals were more likely to be threatened with outing, compared with gay males/lesbians.

Conclusions: Overall, the prevalence of dating violence among GLB adolescents is similar to that of heterosexuals. Dating violence outreach and prevention efforts should be targeted to reach GLB adolescents.