Intersectional Minority Stress and Intimate Partner Violence: The Effects of Enacted Stigma on Racial Minority Youth Assigned Female at Birth.

Many sexual minority youth of color experience enacted stigma based on each of their minority identities. We examined whether experiences of racist discrimination and heterosexist microaggressions were associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) among female-assigned at birth (FAB) sexual minority youth of color. Data were drawn from a larger study of FAB sexual and gender minority youth (FAB400; N = 488). We selected racial/ethnic minority participants who reported a sexual minority identity and reported a romantic relationship in the previous 6 months (N = 249). Negative binomial models were used to test for associations between enacted stigma (racial discrimination and heterosexist microaggressions) and IPV (psychological, physical, sexual, and sexual minority-specific) perpetration and victimization. When considered separately, both forms of enacted stigma was positively associated with perpetration and victimization across all four types of IPV. In multivariate models, racial discrimination and heterosexist microaggressions both had unique, additive effects on psychological IPV perpetration and physical- and sexual minority-specific IPV victimization. Only racial discrimination was uniquely associated with physical perpetration and psychological victimization. Only heterosexist microaggression was uniquely associated with sexual minority-specific perpetration and sexual IPV perpetration and victimization. Findings illustrate how enacted stigma based on each minority identity intersect to raise risk for IPV among sexual minority youth of color.

Domestic Violence Police Reporting and Resources During the 2020 COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order in Chicago, Illinois.

Importance: Domestic violence (DV) has become a growing public health concern during the COVID-19 pandemic because individuals may be sheltering in place with abusers and facing mounting economic and health-related stresses. Objective: To analyze associations of the 2020 COVID-19 stay-at-home (SH) order with DV police reporting and resource availability, including differences by community area racial/ethnic composition. Design, Setting, and Participants: This longitudinal cohort study assessed DV police reports (January-June 2020) obtained from the Chicago, Illinois, Police Department and DV resource availability (March and August 2020) obtained from the NowPow community resource database, both for 77 community areas in Chicago. Data were analyzed July through December 2020. Exposures: The COVID-19 SH order effective March 21, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures: Monthly rates of DV police reports and DV resource availability per 100 000 persons. Results: Of 77 community areas in Chicago, 28 (36.4%) were majority Black, 19 (24.7%) majority Hispanic/Latinx, 18 (23.4%) majority White, and 12 (15.6%) a different or no majority race/ethnicity, representing an estimated population of 2 718 555 individuals. For each community area, the SH order was associated with a decrease in the rate of DV police reports by 21.8 (95% CI, -30.48 to -13.07) crimes per 100 000 persons per month relative to the same months in 2019. Compared with White majority community areas, Black majority areas had a decrease in the rate of DV police reports by 40.8 (95% CI, -62.93 to -18.75) crimes per 100 000 persons per month relative to the same months in 2019. The SH order was also associated with a decrease in DV resource availability at a rate of 5.1 (95% CI, -7.55 to -2.67) resources per 100 000 persons, with the largest decreases for mental health (-4.3 [95% CI, -5.97 to -2.66] resources per 100 000 persons) and personal safety (-2.4 [95% CI, -4.40 to -0.41] resources per 100 000 persons). The Black majority south side of Chicago had a larger decrease in resource availability (-6.7 [95% CI, -12.92 to -0.46] resources per 100 000 persons) than the White majority north side. Conclusions and Relevance: In this longitudinal cohort study, the rate of DV police reports decreased after the SH order was implemented in Chicago. This decrease was largely observed in Black majority communities, whereas there was no significant change in White majority communities. These findings may reflect decreased DV incidence but may also reflect an exacerbation of underreporting. In addition, DV resource availability decreased disproportionately on the predominantly Black south side of Chicago.