Sexual Orientation

Introduction

Sexual orientation defines a force of attraction between a male and a female. Social scientists have determined that one's sexual orientation independently increases the odds of victimization through multivariate analysis using logistic regression. A range of constitutional (age, race, and gender), social (rural, socioeconomic status, education, and marital status), and situational factors specific to the victimization event (activity such as work, school or shopping, alone or with others, and time of day) has been studied. When all factors are held constant, being gay, lesbian, or bisexual significantly increases the likelihood of being a victim of a violent crime. The extent of victimization is unknown because of underreporting of criminal events, attributable to the exclusion of the gay and lesbian community, generally, as well as actual and perceived homophobia within law enforcement, the noncriminalization of some events, and the desire of a percentage of victims to keep their sexual orientation confidential. Accordingly, estimates that homosexuals are twice as likely as heterosexuals to be a victim of a violent offense such as assault, sexual assault, and robbery, are likely conservative. In addition to experiencing higher levels of violent victimization than others, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals also experience higher spousal abuse, which is also thought to be underreported. The lifestyle and personal predictors of victimization, such as frequency of evening activities, urban residence, young age, and single marital status, are more common among gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Sexual orientation is pronouncedly problematic in the context of prison rape, so much so that the U.S. Congress authorized the National Prison Rape Elimination Act and formed a Commission to effect reform. Although the prison rape act is a notable exception, the United States has not been as progressive as other advanced nations in addressing victimization of homosexuals as a special population. (Pastorino , pp. 272-289)

Prevalence

•Violent and Property Victimization

Only recently have public data sources begun to collect sexual orientation victimization statistics. For example, the General Social Survey did not include sexual orientation questions until 2004. The available data, however, suggest that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals exhibit consistently higher violent victimization rates than do heterosexuals, even when controlling for standard risk factors such as marital status, age, place of residence, and frequency of nighttime activities. Specifically, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are more likely to be robbed or physically and/ or sexually assaulted. Bisexuals experience heightened risks of victimization compared with their gay and lesbian counterparts. (Herek,pp.353-375)

•Same-Sex Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse in the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community is a dark figure (unreported crime), principally because most state codes do not account for the possibility of same-sex domestic partners. As a consequence, domestic violence among same-sex partners may be uncoded and unrecorded. However, survey research suggests that same-sex domestic abuse is at least as prevalent in same-sex couples as heterosexual couples. Homosexual men, for example, are just as likely as homosexual women to experience domestic violence. Approximately one in five homosexual males will be involved in a physically abusive relationship at some point during their ...