Experiences of Reporting Family Violence Among LGBTQ + Adults in Australia: Findings from the Private Lives 3 National Survey

Abstract

Purpose: LGBTQ + people who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and family of origin violence (FOV) are known to face significant barriers to reporting or seeking support for these experiences and may not always feel supported when do so. Method: Data from 4,607 participants of a nationwide survey of LGBTQ + adults in Australia who indicated having ever experienced IPV or FOV was analysed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with reporting the most recent experience of IPV or FOV and with feeling supported when reporting. Results: In total, 1,188 (25.9%) participants indicated that they reported their most recent experience of IPV or FOV and 1,112 (84.6%) of those felt supported. Participants’ sexual orientation, level of education, engagement with a regular general practitioner (GP), experience of homelessness and country of birth were associated with reporting their most recent experience of IPV or FOV. Of those who reported their experience, participants were most likely to feel supported if they had a regular GP and least likely to feel supported if they had ever experienced homelessness. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight inadequacies in family violence frameworks in promoting or facilitating access to services that could benefit this population. Encouraging LGBTQ + people to engage with a regular GP, establishing family violence services that cater to the specific needs of LGBTQ + people, and training family violence responders and service providers to recognise diverse relationship dynamics may improve support outcomes for LGBTQ + survivors of family violence.