http://www.urban.org/research/publication/dating-violence-experiences-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-youth/view/full_report
According to this article, LGBT teens are at a greater risk to experience all types of dating violence. The goal of this study was to compare dating violence experiences of LGBT teens with experiences of heterosexual teens. The types of experiences being compared were physical, psychological, sexual, and cyber dating abuse. The study also compared the victimization and perpetration by females, males, and transgendered teens. The study compared the differences in both populations seeking help. It is important to find what groups are at a greater risk for dating violence, so prevention programs can be created to target that population.
Factors that increase the risk of dating violence are depression, family abuse, being isolated from peers, and substance abuse. All of these factors are seen in LGBT teens. Not only can teens be emotionally and physically abused, parents have kicked their children out when finding out about their sexual orientation. Sixty percent of LGBT teens feel unsafe at their school.
LGBT teens showed higher rates of all types of dating violence compared to heterosexual teens. Forty-three percent of LGBT students reported physical abuse while twenty-nine percent of heterosexual teens reported physical abuse. Fifty-nine percent of LGBT teens reported psychological abuse while forty-six percent of heterosexual teens reported psychological abuse. Thirty-seven percent of LGBT teens reported cyber dating abuse while twenty-six percent of heterosexual teens reported cyber dating abuse. Twenty-three percent of LGBT teens reported sexual coercion while heterosexual teens reported twelve percent. It was also found that LGBT teens reported perpetrating dating violence at higher levels than heterosexual teens. Transgender teens are at the highest risk for dating violence. LGBT teens were more likely to get help from dating violence than heterosexual teens.
This study supports prevention programs directed at LGBT students, the training of teachers in being aware of dating violence, students leading support groups. More research still needs to be done on how LGBT teens are experiencing dating violence.