(PS1-B47) Negative Emotional Reactions to Research on Intimate Partner Violence Among Sexual and Gender Minority Participants: The Role of Minority Stress and Adverse Childhood Experiences

The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals is alarmingly high, prompting a growing body of literature in this area. Existing research highlights the role of minority stress and adverse experiences in connection with IPV, which underscores the need to examine both IPV and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in SGM populations. Yet, little research has studied whether participating in IPV research is emotionally distressing for SGM people, a common concern for researchers and Institutional Review Boards. Furthermore, even less is known on the impact of assessing minority stress and ACEs on reactions to participating in research. Thus, the current study examined reactions to participating in IPV research among SGM young adults.

In total, 230 participants who self-identified as a sexual minority in a dating relationship were included. The sample was predominantly young adults, (M = 21.6, SD = 2.0), and identified as White/Caucasian (87.8%) and not Latinx (90.0%). As part of a longitudinal study, participants completed a baseline questionnaire assessing psychological, physical, sexual, and identity abuse IPV in the past year (i.e., the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships and the Identity Abuse Scale; Scheer et al., 2019; Wolfe et al., 2001; Woulfe & Goodman, 2021), childhood abuse (Adverse Childhood Experiences survey; Finkelhor et al., 2015), and internalized homonegativity (items adapted from the Multi-Axial Gay Men’s Inventory; Theodore et al., 2013). The Reactions to Research Participation Questionnaire (RRPQ, Newman et al., 2001) was used to assess reactions to research participation.
Results indicated that gender minority participants (n = 63) had significantly higher negative emotional reactions compared to cisgender participants t(228) = -2.8, p < .05, but this increase among gender minority individuals was small (d = -.42). Indeed, most gender minority (68.3%) and cisgender participants (56.9%) did not report negative emotional reactions. In addition, gender minority participants scored higher on a scale indicating appreciation for contributing to research (t(228) = -2.4,  p < .05) compared to cisgender participants. Further, separate models were conducted with IPV victimization and perpetration as predictors of negative emotional reactions. In the first model (i.e., victimization), being a gender minority participant (ß = .18, p = .005), having higher internalized homonegativity (ß = .26, p < .001) and reporting greater ACEs (ß = .13, p = .048) were associated with higher negative emotional reactions, but no type of IPV victimization was associated with negative emotional reactions. Similarly, the second model (i.e., perpetration) demonstrated that being a gender minority participant (ß = .18, p = .005), having higher internalized homonegativity (ß = .25, p < .001) and reporting greater ACEs (ß = .13, p = .045) were associated with higher negative emotional reactions, but no type of IPV perpetration was associated with negative emotional reactions. Findings suggest that questions assessing minority stress and negative childhood experiences may be stressful for SGM participants, but overall, IPV research is well-tolerated by most SGM participants.