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The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
|
2010 Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation
eXeCUTIVe SUMMaRY
Little is known about the national
prevalence of sexual violence,
stalking, and intimate partner
violence among gay, lesbian,
and bisexual women and men in
the United States. Information at
a national level focusing on these
types of interpersonal violence
based on the sexual orientation of
U.S.
adults has not been previously
available. The National Intimate
Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
(NISVS) is an ongoing, nationally
representative survey that collects
information about experiences
of sexual violence and stalking
by any perpetrator and intimate
partner violence among English
and/or Spanish-speaking women
and men aged 18 years or older
in the United States. This report
presents information based on
respondents’ self-reported sexual
orientation and their lifetime
victimization experiences of sexual
violence, stalking, and violence by
an intimate partner. The findings
in this report are for 2010, the first
year of NISVS data collection, and
are based on complete interviews.
Complete interviews were
obtained from 16,507 adults
(9,086 women and 7,421 men).
Prevalence estimates for some
types of violence for particular
groups were too small to produce
reliable estimates and, therefore,
are not reported.
Key Findings
Overall
•
Bisexual women had significantly
higher lifetime prevalence of
rape and sexual violence other
than rape by
any perpetrator
when compared to both lesbian
and heterosexual women.
•
Bisexual women had significantly
higher lifetime prevalence of
rape, physical violence, and/or
stalking by
an intimate partner
when compared to both lesbian
and heterosexual women.
•
Lesbian women and gay men
reported levels of intimate
partner violence and sexual
violence equal to or higher than
those of heterosexuals.
Sexual Violence by
any Perpetrator
•
The lifetime prevalence of rape
by any perpetrator w
as:
For women
Lesbian – 13.1%
Bisexual – 46.1%
Heterosexual – 17.4%
For men
Gay – numbers too small
to estimate
-
Bisexual – numbers too small
to estimate
-
Heterosexual – 0.7%
•
The lifetime prevalence of
sexual violence other than
rape (including being made
to penetrate, sexual coercion,
unwanted sexual contact,
and non-contact unwanted
sexual experiences) by any
perpetrator was:
For women
Lesbian – 46.4%
Bisexual – 74.9%
Heterosexual – 43.3%
For men
Gay – 40.2%
Bisexual – 47.4%
Heterosexual – 20.8%
Sex of Perpetrator among
Rape Victims
•
Most bisexual and heterosexual
women (98.3% and 99.1%,
respectively) who experienced
rape in their lifetime reported
having only male perpetrators.
Estimates for sex of perpetrator
of rape for other groups (lesbian
women, gay and bisexual men)
were based upon numbers too
small to calculate a reliable
estimate and, therefore, are
not reportable.
Sex of Perpetrator among
Victims of Sexual Violence
Other than Rape
•
The majority of lesbian, bisexual,
and heterosexual women
(85.2%, 87.5%, and 94.7%,
respectively) who experienced
sexual violence other than rape
in their lifetime reported having
only male perpetrators.
•
78.6% of gay men and 65.8% of
bisexual men who experienced
sexual violence other than rape
in their lifetime reported having
only male perpetrators.
•
28.6% of heterosexual men who
experienced sexual violence other
than rape in their lifetime reported
having only male perpetrators,
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
|
2010 Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation
2
while 54.8% reported only female
perpetrators, and 16.6% reported
both male and female perpetrato
http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_SOfindings.pdf