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Methods: We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed and gray literature published in English before November 2017 on IPV in trans/NB populations. Eighty-three articles written were identified for inclusion, of which 31 were qualitative or mixed methods studies that contained at least some qualitative data on IPV on trans/NB populations. These studies were conducted in eight different countries; the United States, Canada, India, Mexico, Japan, Scotland, Spain, and Brazil. Studies ranged from including no trans/NB individuals (but cisgender women who experienced perpetration of IPV by transmasculine partners) to a large U.S. based online study of only trans/NB individuals (n = 27,715) that included open ended response options that allowed for qualitative data collection. Most studies had between five and 20 transgender participants. Information on study design, sample characteristics, definitions used to assess IPV, types of IPV assessed (e.g., psychological, physical, sexual IPV), and analytic themes were extracted from each article.
Results: Many of these studies were not specifically designed to explore participants’ experiences with IPV; rather, IPV came up as a topic or theme around gender-based violence, or other types of oppression and marginalization. Participants reported having experienced multiple types of IPV; physical, sexual, and emotional/controlling (including threatening of housing and financial control) violence. There were also several themes connected to how IPV was perpetuated directly regarding gender, such as withholding of hormones/surgeries, purposely misnaming/misgendering participants, and outing them to others. Finally, several articles contained themes of both re-victimization and the potential for validation/affirmation of identity at social service organizations and shelters following IPV.
Conclusion and Implications: Existing literature confirms that IPV is a prevalent issue for trans/NB individuals, yet this may often be obscured in literature that combines the experiences of trans/NB individuals with those of cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or queer individuals, or that only touches on IPV as a subset of other topics. More research using an intersectional lens and specifically exploring trans experiences of IPV and post-IPV support services (as compared to only including noting IPV experiences as part of other topics of research) is urgently needed to better understand and more effectively address IPV as related to trans/NB communities.