Project Summary Sexual minority adolescents (SMA; ages 13-17) experience higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) than their heterosexual peers, including being more likely to experience psychological and physical abuse, 9-11 and being four times more likely to experience rape. 12 However, this emerging body of literature has a number of significant limitations. First (Aim 1), studies have largely failed to look beyond victimization of IPV and have not measured IPV perpetration among SMA. Second (Aim 1), studies of IPV among SMA have approached SMA as a homogenous group and have not identified within-group differences in SMAs' experience of IPV, including by race, ethnicity, gender identity, or urbanicity. Research has been inconclusive in these regards, making hypotheses difficult, 13-20 although differences may inform intervention. Third (Aim 2), identified associations between the experience of IPV and negative health outcomes (i.e. mental health symptomology, substance use, homelessness) are largely cross-sectional: the temporal relationships between IPV and behavioral health for SMA across adolescence remains unclear. 21 Fourth (Aim 3), almost nothing is known of the unique etiological factors that influence IPV experiences for SMA. While cross-sectional studies have identified relationships between sexuality-based minority stress 22 and sexual assault, 13, 23-26 the prospective literature is nearly nonexistent. Finally (Aim 3), even less is known about how SMA-specific protective factors (such as access to LGBT-friendly services) 27-28,29-33 may attenuate IPV trajectories. In general, the only longitudinal studies of IPV among SMA to date are limited by (a) the inclusion of violence only in the context of dating; (b) a failure to assess perpetration or bidirectional IPV; (c) a reliance on single-city urban samples largely composed of adults (18+); and (d) the inclusion of no, or limited, measures of minority stress and resilience. We propose to address these limitations, and to explain the prospective relationships between IPV experiences (including victimization and perpetration), risk and resilience factors, and other behavioral health outcomes in a diverse cohort of SMA (ages 13–17 at baseline). We rely on methods refined in our prior work (1R01MD012252) to recruit a national sample of diverse SMA (i.e., race and ethnicity, gender, urbanicity; N = 1,500) through a hybrid social media and respondent-driven sampling strategy. We will follow participants for 36 months. Proposed by established MPIs (Goldbach, Stephenson), Co-Is (Rhoades, Schrager), and a biostatistician (Mamey) in this area, 39-44 our efforts are centered on identifying targets for future interventions to reduce the significant burden of IPV carried by this population.

Project Narrative Sexual minority adolescents (SMA; ages 13-17) are more likely to experience intimate partner violence (IPV) than their heterosexual peers. However, research on the relationship between IPV and individuals who identify as a sexual minority has largely focused on adults. The overarching goal of this study is to explore the prospective relationship among IPV experiences, risk and resilience factors, and other behavioral health outcomes in a diverse cohort of SMA.