LGBTQ+ Adult Sexual Violence Critical Scoping Review: Victimization Risk Factors

Sexual violence experienced by LGBTQ+ adults is a rapidly expanding field of academic study. Therefore, there is a need for a synthesis and critical analysis of the research. The aim of this review was to conduct a critical review of the academic literature on adult LGBTQ+ sexual violence and to provide recommendations for future research. A total of 10,845 papers were identified through a comprehensive scoping review approach and 108 met the criteria for inclusion. The findings are reported across two papers. This second paper reports on the risk factors for victimization: alcohol and other drugs (AOD); homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and minority stress; "risky" sexual behavior and HIV transmission; and child sexual abuse (CSA). AOD use was seen as a risk factor for sexual violence, yet the causal relationship was not always clear. Minority stress was conceived of as an individual issue with undertones of victim-blaming. "Risky" sexual behavior research, at times, framed LGBTQ+ sex as "risky" and failed to account for the specific needs of LGBTQ+ communities. Research on adult sexual violence risks had a focus on CSA that often neglected broader structural issues. In general, across the studies, there was a focus on individual-level research that analyzed survivor behavior, resulting in victim blaming. This paper advocates for expanding LGBTQ+ sexual violence research beyond just individual risk factors, shifting research away from constructing LGBTQ+ people as "risky," and expanding research to include a more intersectional analysis that goes beyond heteronormative and cisnormative inquiry.