Contexts and Motives of Intimate Partner Violence Among Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults Assigned Female at Birth

Intimate partner violence (IPV), including physical violence, psychological aggression, and coercive control, is highly prevalent among sexual and gender minority young adults assigned female at birth (SGM-AFAB). However, we know little about the contexts in which IPV occurs (e.g., the overall tenor of the relationship in which IPV occurred and immediate precursors to IPV incidents) or the motives behind acts of IPV. Aiming to address these gaps in the literature, in 2019, we conducted semistructured interviews with 39 SGM-AFAB young adults with histories of severe IPV victimization and/or perpetration. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that IPV commonly occurred in relationships characterized by power differentials, stigma against sexual or gender minorities, infidelity, and unhealthy couple dynamics. Conflict was the most common situational context, followed by perceived or real infidelity; IPV was also triggered during technology-based communication, substance use, and breakups. IPV motives varied, including expression of negative emotions, desire to control the partner, jealousy, and self-defense. Relational and situational contexts and motives behind IPV varied by IPV type but not direction. The results highlight the importance of considering context and motivations when seeking to understand SGM-AFAB people’s IPV experiences. The findings also suggest that IPV prevention and treatment efforts should include individual and dyadic interventions to improve the regulation of negative emotion, awareness of power dynamics, and conflict management among SGM-AFAB and their partners, as well as policy efforts to reduce stigma against sexual and gender minority people.