Youth, Natives at Greatest Risk, New Research Shows

Gay men sustain physical assault due to sexual orientation at a frequency that is twice the population rate of all violent crimes combined, and youth and Native gay men are at highest risk, according to new research by a Canadian public health team.

"These data underscore the need for increased public awareness, improved surveillance, and support for initiatives to reduce assault against young men who have sex with men," wrote lead author Dr. Thomas Lampinen, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia.

The team surveyed 521 gay male volunteers between 15 and 30 years of age from 1995 until 2004. At study enrollment, one-sixth of the men said they had been previously hit, punched, or beaten because of their sexual orientation. Gay men who revealed their sexual orientation before age 16 were 4 times more likely to report previous assault (36%), compared to gay men who "came out" in their twenties (10%).

Each year of the study, an average 2.3% of the men reported anti-gay physical assault, double the rate of violent crime in the province of British Columbia (1.2% per year). The research team identified highest risk of assault among gay men who are Canadian Aboriginal gay men (8.0% assaulted per year) and those youngest, less than age 24 at study enrollment (5.3% assaulted per year).

"Gay teens are at high risk of physical assault and that risk underscores the importance of anti-bullying and tolerance initiatives in schools. Must school-based programs address sexual orientation and gender identity specifically? These rates confront all doubt," Lampinen said.

The report is published online and will be featured in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The study was conducted at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and funded by the Centre, the National Health Research Development Program and the American Psychological Foundation Wayne F. Placek Program.