The Relationship Between Suicidality and LGBTQ+ Experiences of Sexual Violence

The experience of sexual violence produces wideranging, considerable, and lifelong impacts and consequences for any person, but these experiences can be especially impactful for LGBTQ+ people for a range of reasons. Some research shows the extent to which sexual violence is perpetrated against LGBTQ+ Australians, with more than 48% of 6,794 LGBTQ+ survey participants stating they had been coerced into sexual acts they did not
want to engage in (Hill et al, 2020).

These numbers are markedly higher than the general Australian population, which reports that 17% of women and 4% of men have had experiences of sexual violence (AIHW, 2020).
These statistics are useful for an overview of the prevalence of sexual violence for LGBTQ+
Australians. However, they do not tell us how to support victim-survivors. Our research sought to
build on the existing knowledge base by providing more detailed insights into the multifaceted ways
that LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of self-harm and suicidality have been impacted by their most
impactful experience of sexual violence.

In 2021-22, ACON in conjunction with researchers from the University of Melbourne and University of
Tasmania undertook the first comprehensive survey of NSW LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of sexual
violence. In this briefing paper we document the impact of these experiences, including challenges
to their identity, and changes in mental health, through acts of self-harm, thoughts and feelings of
suicide, and attempted suicide.

Mainstream research on sexual violence has consistently reported significant adverse effects
and impacts from sexual violence, especially in the case of sexual violence experienced during
childhood (Lloyd and Operario, 2012). For the LGBTQ+ participants in this research, the layering
effect of sexual violence and discrimination/ isolation related to sexuality and gender diversity,
creates significant negative impacts on the wellbeing of participants.