Individual, Family and Community Violence Experienced By Sexual and Gender-Expansive Homeless Youth with Previous Child Welfare System-Involvement

Background and Purpose

Although child welfare system-involved (CWS-I) sexual and gender-expansive (SGE) youth share similar experiences with heterosexual, cisgender CWS-I youth, (i.e., child maltreatment histories), they have distinctive experiences specific to their sexual orientation and gender identity. These range from individual level factors such as health, mental health, and well-being to family and community level factors including acceptance, support and safety. For example, SGE youth experience higher rates of rejection, abuse and victimization from their families of origin (Liu & Mustanski, 2012; Marshal et al, 2012; Wilson & Kastanis, 2015). Further, SGE youth report experiencing verbal and physical harassment (55% and 23% respectively), and physical assault (11%) by their peers because of their gender expression (Kosciw, Greytak, Palmer, & Boesen, 2014). Research also indicates that CWS-I SGE youth experience unstable, unsafe, and more restrictive child welfare placements (Elze, 2014), and are overrepresented among runaway and homeless youth populations (Keuroghlian, Shtasel, & Bassuk, 2014). The purpose of this study was to examine the rates of family and community victimization perpetrated against CWS-I youth based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We examined whether SGE youth were at an increased risk for victimization (i.e., abuse, sexual victimization and trafficking, neighborhood violence) and explored how family and community violence influenced their overall mental health and risk behaviors compared to their heterosexual, cisgender counterparts.

Methods

Using data from the 2015 Atlanta Homeless Youth Count and Needs Assessment (AHYCNA) we examined whether a subsample, of previously CWS-I youth, have distinctive trauma experiences when compared on their sexual and gender identity. The AHYCNA used a sophisticated capture-recapture method to count homeless youth. The full sample comprised of 693 homeless youth; 43% (n=295) reported previous CWS-I and 47% (n=93) of the CWS-I sub-sample self-identified as a SGE youth.

Results

SGE and heterosexual, cisgender youth with previous CWS-I were both exposed to violence in their homes and neighborhoods at an alarming rate. However, SGE youth experienced sexual abuse, sexual victimization, and engaged in sex work at a significantly higher rate.

Conclusions

Results underscore the importance of identifying SGE youth within the child welfare system to identify and address their unique needs and, better prepare them for their exit from the system to prevent homelessness and chronic exposure to trauma. Establishing a trauma-informed child welfare system is a necessary step to avoid re-traumatization by the very system put in place to protect them.