Intimate Partner Victimization Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Groups, Part 2: A Comprehensive Review of Risk Factors.

This comprehensive review, conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, synthesizes research on risk factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning+ (LGBTQ+) populations. Building on Part 1, which examined prevalence rates, the present analysis integrates findings from 127 empirical studies across diverse sexual and gender minority subgroups. Using an ecological framework, we identified three broad classes of risk factors: (a) individual-level vulnerabilities such as poor mental health, substance use, childhood trauma, internalized stigma, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related stressors; (b) relationship-level dynamics including poor communication, coercive control, threats of "outing," and low relationship satisfaction; and (c) community and societal-level influences such as minority stress, discrimination, housing instability, and lack of LGBTQ+-inclusive services. Importantly, subgroup-specific patterns were identified: bisexual individuals experience disproportionately higher IPV risk linked to double marginalization, internalized biphobia, and reduced social support; gay men often face bidirectional IPV tied to internalized homophobia, HIV status, and partner threats of outing; lesbian women not only share risk factors with heterosexual women but also encounter stigma-related invisibility in services and issues with relationship fusion; and transgender individuals face the highest risks due to transphobia, misgendering, and structural inequities. Collectively, these findings emphasize the multidimensional and overlapping nature of IPV risks within LGBTQ+ populations and underscore the urgent need for tailored prevention strategies, inclusive policies, and culturally responsive services.