Study: Bisexual women more likely to be victims of domestic abuse than heterosexual women
A British study found that 11 percent of bisexual women had been abused by their partner
A British survey has found that bisexual women are almost twice as likely to be victims of domestic abuse.
The Office of National Statistics conducted a survey on women 16-59 from 2015 to 2017 using the Crime Survey for England and Wales’ definition of domestic abuse, which covers:
- Non-sexual abuse — physical, financial, emotional, and others
- Sexual assault and rape
- Stalking and threats
The survey found that 10.9% of bisexual women reported they had been abused in the last 12 months by their partner, compared with 6% of heterosexual women.
Of that figure, 6.8% of bisexual women reported non-sexual abuse by their partner, compared with 3.9% of straight women. The survey also found that bisexual women were five times more likely to be sexually assaulted by their partner.
Among other findings, younger women were more likely to report abuse — as well as experience it — than older women, while mixed race women, women suffering from illness or disability, and lower income women are disproportionately affected by abuse.
While attitudes toward homosexuality have increased globally, attacks on LGBTQ people — and anxiety that they might occur — persist. A study published by HRC found that many LGBTQ teens face high levels of stress, depression, and fear due to the possibility of their sexuality making them a target for violence and ridicule.
And a study by Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion in 2016 found that while the American public has largely adopted more positive views of gays and lesbians, their attitudes toward bisexual men and women are “relatively neutral, if not ambivalent.”
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