Disclosure Experiences for Transgender and Nonbinary Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

While transgender individuals experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), current gendered and heteronormative depictions of IPV in society may create unique barriers for transgender survivors who attempt to disclose their abuse, thus leaving survivors without access to support resources. This study sought to understand the barriers to disclosure transgender survivors face and how they overcome these barriers. Through in-depth interviews with transgender IPV survivors (n = 9), the researcher found that experiences of IPV were often inseparable from survivors' experiences of their gender identity. Both external and internalized transphobia served as barriers which framed how participants viewed their abuse and who they disclosed their abuse to. Conversely, transgender-affirming support helped participants overcome these barriers. These barriers and aids also took different forms and meanings based upon other intersecting identities, such as gender and ability status. Implications for researchers and service providers, as well as directions for future research are reviewed.