Mate Choice, Exposure to Violence, Victimization, and Substance Use: A Comparison of Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Experiences

Heterosexual men and women who report more than the average number of sexual partners also report greater exposure to interpersonal violence and substance use. This relationship is less well-understood in sexual minorities (e.g., gay, lesbian, and bisexual). In the current study, data from 12,407 participants from four waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were examined. Psychological and sociological risk factors were controlled for in the analyses which included self-control, religiosity, depression, marital and cohabiting status, educational attainment, and employment. While exceptions are noted, the results overall lend support to the hypothesis that relationships with the opposite sex carry a greater risk of exposure to violence and substance use than do same-sex relationships. This was the case for heterosexual men and women, and also held true within some groups of sexual minorities. Among hetero and mostly heterosexual men, competition for women was found to be especially risky for violence perpetration, perhaps because the likely rivals would include other heterosexual men. The significant effects of same-sex partners were largely limited to women but were also significant and negative for heterosexual men's drug use. Mostly heterosexual and bisexual individuals were found to have experienced more violence/victimization, used more drugs, and drank to the point of getting drunk more often (on average) than other sexual minorities. Controlling for psychological and sociological risk factors did not explain the effects of sexual orientation or sexual experience. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.