Do Existing Screening Tools Accurately Reflect Experiences of LGBTQ-Identified Victims of Intimate Partner Violence?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess how relevant existing screening tools are to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Screening tools are surveys medical and mental health professionals give to their beneficiaries to determine if the person is experiencing some form of abuse (e.g., emotional or physical). Expert participants decided the relevance of each screening tool by rating all items on the three most commonly used: Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream; Partner Violence Screen; and Abuse Assessment Screen. Participants were also asked to evaluate the relevance of new questions, designed by the principal researcher based on extensive literature reviews. All three tools and researcher-generated items were rated as "somewhat relevant" to LGBTQ victims with participants reporting that wording changes and additional questions could improve the tools' relevance. These results help inform best practices for identifying LGBTQ survivors of IPV.