Heterogeneity in criminal violent victimization within the LGBT population: Estimates from the US National Crime Victimization Study

Abstract

Research consistently shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals experience significantly higher rates of violent victimization than their non-LGBT counterparts. In this study, we address theoretical, empirical, and methodological gaps in this developing body of work. Motivated by intersectionality theory and building on existing research, we examine heterogeneity in rates of violent victimization among the LGBT population compared with their non-LGBT counterparts. We also assess the extent to which subgroup sociodemographic differences account for disparities in violent victimization and whether the effect of LGBT status on violent victimization differs by sex. We address these questions using several waves of data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Consistent with prior work, we find that LGBT subgroups have a higher rate of violent victimization than their non-LGBT counterparts. Our results also reveal heterogeneity within the LGBT population. Rates of violent victimization are highest for bisexual individuals, followed by transgender individuals, lesbian/gay individuals, and non-LGBT individuals. Although sociodemographic differences explain a nontrivial portion of these disparities (∼15% for gay/lesbian individuals to 41% for bisexual individuals), the bulk of disparities are not accounted for by sociodemographic controls. The conditional effects of sex are minimal and nuanced, warranting further research. We contribute methodologically by drawing attention to current challenges with the recommended measures of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity used in the NCVS and other large population surveys. We suggest revisions to foster more inclusive, comprehensive, and precise measurement.