LGBTQIA+ Justice to Prevent Sexual Violence: Resources for Practitioners
Creating safe and supportive environments for LGBTQIA+ communities is an integral part of sexual and intimate partner violence prevention and Health Equity.
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control, LGBTQ+ youth experience higher rates of sexual and dating violence than their heterosexual peers. Researchers attribute higher rates of victimization to “minority stress,” meaning the impacts of stigma, discrimination, heterosexism and bullying on health. The report goes on to explicitly state “for youth to thrive in schools and communities, they need to feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe and supported.”
Additionally, homophobic bullying at a young age has been linked to sexual and intimate partner violence prevention at a later age.
Below are several resources prevention practitioners can use to support improve their LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and justice policies and practices:
Sexual Violence and Suicide Risk among LGBTQ+ Young People, Trevor Project
In recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, this brief uses a large, diverse, and recent sample of LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-24 from The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People to examine the prevalence of sexual violence in LGBTQ+ youth, as well as demographic differences and associations with depression, anxiety, and suicide risk.
Fighting Hate With Hope: Youth Power Vs. Adult Fear
This podcast explores the importance of youth engagement and centering youth voices in the creating inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students, in the context of sexual violence prevention.
New NISVS data points to high rates of harm against bisexual women, LGBTQ+ folks
This blog summarizes recent findings from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) Report, which points to increased rates of sexual violence against LGBTQ folks, but especially bisexual women of color.
This blog highlights a new guidebook, written by self-advocates with the Rainbow Support Groups of Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS), to help people understand and better support LGBTQ+ people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). The online guidebook centers lived experiences and perspectives of LGBTQ+ self-advocates and aims to give hope and inspiration to fellow community members as well as insight and knowledge to supporters.
The Grooming Myth: Fighting Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric
This podcast explores the weaponization of language in the anti-sexual violence movement, how can harm black, brown, LGBTQ+ and marginalized people, and how preventionists are fighting back to create safe spaces and reclaim language.
LGBTQIA+ inclusion resources for prevention practitioners: Data and Storytelling
This blog is a compilation of data to educate practitioners, community members, partners and stakeholders about the connections between gender-based violence prevention and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
LGBTQIA+ inclusion resources for prevention practitioners: Guides and Toolkits
This blog is a compilation of of toolkits and publications to inform prevention practitioner’s internal organizational framework, program development and policies and practices.
This web conference explores how prevention practitioners are going beyond the binary when engaging men and boys and creating protective environments to prevent sexual and intimate partner violence for LGBTQ+ youth.
Prevention and LGBTQ+ rights: opportunities for practitioners
This blog offers recommendations and strategies to create protective environments for LGBTQ+ youth and combat anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, policies and practices in youth-serving spaces.