Article

A meta-analysis of disparities in childhood sexual abuse, parental physical abuse, and peer victimization among sexual minority and sexual nonminority individuals.

Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences and the Center for Research on Health and Sexual Orientation, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
American Journal of Public Health (impact factor: 3.93). 06/2011; 101(8):1481-94. DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2009.190009 pp.1481-94
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT We compared the likelihood of childhood sexual abuse (under age 18), parental physical abuse, and peer victimization based on sexual orientation.
We conducted a meta-analysis of adolescent school-based studies that compared the likelihood of childhood abuse among sexual minorities vs sexual nonminorities.
Sexual minority individuals were on average 3.8, 1.2, 1.7, and 2.4 times more likely to experience sexual abuse, parental physical abuse, or assault at school or to miss school through fear, respectively. Moderation analysis showed that disparities between sexual minority and sexual nonminority individuals were larger for (1) males than females for sexual abuse, (2) females than males for assault at school, and (3) bisexual than gay and lesbian for both parental physical abuse and missing school through fear. Disparities did not change between the 1990s and the 2000s.
The higher rates of abuse experienced by sexual minority youths may be one of the driving mechanisms underlying higher rates of mental health problems, substance use, risky sexual behavior, and HIV reported by sexual minority adults.

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Keywords

adolescent school-based studies
 
childhood abuse
 
childhood sexual abuse
 
driving mechanisms
 
experience sexual abuse
 
mental health problems
 
meta-analysis
 
Moderation analysis
 
parental physical abuse
 
risky sexual behavior
 
sexual abuse
 
sexual minorities
 
sexual minority
 
sexual minority adults
 
Sexual minority individuals
 
sexual minority youths
 
sexual nonminorities
 
sexual nonminority individuals
 
sexual orientation
 
substance use