Public perceptions and social norms influencing violence contemplation and perpetration against sexual and gender minorities in Rwanda.

Psychology of Violence, Nov 06, 2025, No Pagination Specified; doi:10.1037/vio0000647

Objective: Violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) people is a significant issue in sub-Saharan Africa, premised on the continent’s predominantly conservative sexual laws, prevailing sociocultural norms, and attitudes toward sexuality. Informed by norm-centered stigma theory, this study investigated the prevalence and norm-related factors associated with physical and psychological violence contemplation and perpetration against LGBTQ+ people in Rwanda. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 1,254 members of the public. The respondents were recruited through convenience sampling. We used a face-to-face structured questionnaire that explored societal attitudes toward and participants’ self-reported actions against LGBTQ+ people. We used unadjusted and adjusted multinomial regression models to analyze the data and report 95% confidence intervals. Results: Overall, attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people were highly discriminatory. In adjusted models, a one-unit increase in discriminatory beliefs, nonacceptance of LGBTQ+ people, and negative views of same-sex relationships increased the risk of physical violence by 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] [1.0, 1.1]), 1.1 (95% CI [1.0, 1.2]), and 1.0 (95% CI [1.03, 1.1]), respectively. A one-point increase in the community perception index, nonacceptance of LGBTQ+ people, and negative views of same-sex relationships increased the risk of psychological violence by 1.1 (95% CI [1.04, 1.09]), 1.2 (95% CI [1.04, 1.2]), and 1.1 (95% CI [1.02, 1.1]), respectively. Conclusions: Discriminatory attitudes, beliefs, and views toward LGBTQ+ people are prevalent in Rwanda, influencing the propensity to contemplate or perpetrate physical and psychological violence. Implementation of educational programs that foster tolerance and address cultural and societal values is needed to reduce violence and create safer communities for LGBTQ+ people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)