A Narrative Review of Sexual Aggression Perpetration in Non-Heterosexual Populations: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Sexual aggression (SA) perpetration poses a significant threat to public health and safety. Despite increased attention toward prevention of SA perpetration, empirical research and prevention programming have focused primarily on perpetration by cisgender men against cisgender women. This heteronormative framework neglects the needs of non-heterosexual populations who experience elevated rates of SA victimization and likely compounds existing inequities in mental health outcomes and access to care.

To address this critical gap, this study presents a narrative review of the quantitative literature on SA perpetration in non-heterosexual populations.

This narrative review identified seven quantitative studies on SA perpetration in LGBQ populations and (a) describes the methodology across studies, (b) describes the demographics across studies, and (c) summarizes prevalence rates and risk factors.

There was a reasonable degree of consistency in the studies' measurement of SA perpetration. Differences included the specific measure, victim gender, and classification systems for SA. The samples identified were exclusively from wealthy, Western, industrialized nations and were predominantly White. Perpetration rates varied by gender and sexual orientation and classification system. Identified risk factors included variables related to early adverse events, sexuality and gender roles, aggression, and substance use.

Findings demonstrate that SA perpetration is not a public health problem exclusive to heterosexual individuals and that LGB populations would benefit from the development of etiological models and evidence-based intervention. Future research should attempt to replicate and extend findings, particularly among more diverse samples.