Lifetime victimization was examined in a primarily European American sample that comprised 557 lesbian/gay, 163 bisexual, and 525 heterosexual adults. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) participants were recruited via LGB e-mail lists, periodicals, and organizations; these participants recruited 1 or more siblings for participation in the study (81% heterosexual, 19% LGB). In hierarchical linear modeling analyses, sexual orientation was a significant predictor of most of the victimization variables. Compared with heterosexual participants, LGB participants reported more childhood psychological and physical abuse by parents or caretakers, more childhood sexual abuse, more partner psychological and physical victimization in adulthood, and more sexual assault experiences in adulthood. Sexual orientation differences in sexual victimization were greater among men than among women.

Relatively few studies have examined traumatic victimization among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations. The numerous large, probability-based surveys of victimization generally assume heterosexuality among participants and do not assess for sexual orientation. Moreover, researchers conducting smaller studies of lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations have generally not assessed for victimization or have done so using nonstandardized measures. The result is that we know very little about the prevalence of victimization over the life span among lesbians, gay men, and bisexual women and men. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported psychological, physical, and sexual abuse in childhood and adulthood in a large, national sample of lesbians, gay men, and bisexual women and men. In addition, we wanted to make comparisons with heterosexual women and men using adult siblings as a comparison group.

There are several reasons to hypothesize that reported prevalence rates of victimization might be different among LGB populations. LGB youths may be specifically targeted for abuse in their families...