Research has found that transgender people are more at risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization than cisgender people , yet they are often overlooked in the literature and as a result, there are fewer resources available to them.
Much of the research on 2SLGBTQI experiences of IPV treats the acronym as a monolith, with no distinction made between transgender and queer cisgender people’s experiences. This literature review offers a snapshot of the literature on trans people who have experienced intimate partner violence. In this review we discuss the prevalence and impact of IPV among trans people and highlight major barriers and facilitators to help-seeking.
Key Takeways
- Trans people are at a higher risk of experiencing IPV victimization than cisgender people.
- IPV has more of a negative impact on some aspects of trans victim-survivors’ lives when compared to cisgender victim-survivors.
- Trans victim-survivors can experience trans-specific IPV, a unique type of IPV which abusers use to weaponize societal transphobia.
- Trans victim-survivors can have different experiences of IPV victimhood than cisgender victim-survivors. This may be because IPV is typically understood as stemming from patriarchal power structures and as involving a cisgender woman victim-survivor and cisgender man abuser.
- Trans victim-survivors face additional barriers to help-seeking from health care providers, police, and DV shelters and services. Transphobia and the lack of education and understanding of the issue are at the root of many of these barriers