Sexual Violence and The Experiences of the LGBTQ Community

June 23, 2021

Sexual violence affects everyone. However, those among the LGBTQ populations exeprience sexual violence at significantly higher rates than those who are straight.  Compounding the issue, LGBTQ individuals are less likely to come forward after an assault than non-LGBTQ individuals and, alarmingly, research from the National Coalition Against Violence Project found 85 percent of victim advocates surveyed reported having worked with an LGBTQ survivor who was denied services because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Another significant issue is that many of the sexual violence prevention efforts are highly heteronormative and, therefore, do not address many of the problems faced by those in the LGBTQ communities.

So how do we create an effective prevention plan for a high-risk/low reporting population that faces the additional challenges of discrimination?

Jonna Cooley, the Executive Director of the Phoenix Center in Springfield, IL. shares her insights.

 

Topics Covered Include

  • The importance of recognizing that LGBT is 4 distinct populations and not just one
  • What are some of the risk factors for experiencing sexual violence that may be unique to LGBTQ individuals
  • Why are those who are LGBTQ more hestitant to come forward after experiencing sexual violence
  • How can we make sexual violence prevention plans more inclusive for the LGBTQ communities
  • The importance of anti-discrimination training for first responders in sexual violence prevention.

Sources:

The Phoenix Center (website)

The Phoenix Center (Facebook)

The Phoenix Center (Instagram)