Measuring Intimate Partner Violence in Sexual and Gender Minority Populations: A COSMIN Psychometric Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Research
• Sociology

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public and mental health issue.
• Current IPV research and measurement predominantly use a cisgender, heterosexual framework.
• Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals face IPV at high rates and experience unique forms of abuse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and evaluate existing self-report measures of IPV for SGM populations.
• To assess the psychometric properties and empirical application of IPV measures in SGM research.
• To identify gaps and needs for developing validated IPV assessment tools for SGM communities.

Main Methods:

• A two-tiered review of self-report IPV measures used with SGM populations.
• Tier 1: Evaluated psychometric properties using COSMIN standards.
• Tier 2: Examined the application of IPV measures in empirical research, identifying 9 scale development/validation studies and 72 studies using IPV scales.

Main Results:

• No IPV measure fully met COSMIN recommendations.
• Structural validity and internal consistency were generally adequate.
• Evidence for content validity, cross-cultural validity, reliability, and hypothesis-testing was often limited or indeterminate.
• SGM-specific measures are underutilized; heterocentric measures remain prevalent.

Conclusions:

• Existing IPV measures lack sufficient validation for SGM populations, impacting accuracy and inclusivity.
• While some SGM-specific tools show promise, refinement and further validation are crucial.
• Development of consensus-driven, gold-standard IPV measures is needed for accurate assessment and effective interventions in SGM communities.