Los Angeles, California – A new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law reveals alarming statistics regarding the victimization rates of transgender individuals compared to cisgender individuals. The study found that transgender people are more than four times as likely to experience violent victimization, such as rape, sexual assault, and assault, than their cisgender counterparts. Moreover, households with transgender individuals also faced higher rates of property victimization.
The research, based on data from the 2017 and 2018 National Crime Victimization Survey, provides the first comprehensive and nationally representative data on criminal victimization that includes information on gender identity and sex assigned at birth. The results showed that both transgender women and men experienced higher rates of violent victimization compared to cisgender individuals, with no significant differences between transgender men and women.
Lead author Andrew R. Flores emphasized the importance of recognizing the vulnerability of transgender individuals to non-fatal physical and material victimization, in addition to the focus on the increase in murders of transgender women of color in 2020. The study highlights the urgent need for effective policies and interventions to address the high rates of victimization experienced by transgender people, as these experiences are linked to low well-being and increased risk of suicide.
Key findings from the study indicate that transgender individuals aged 16 and older are victimized at a significantly higher rate than cisgender individuals, with transgender individuals experiencing 86.2 victimizations per 1,000 people compared to 21.7 victimizations per 1,000 people for cisgender individuals. Transgender women and men also faced higher rates of violent victimization than cisgender women and men, showcasing the pervasive nature of violence against transgender individuals.
Additionally, the study revealed that one in four transgender women who were victimized perceived the incident as a hate crime, highlighting the intersectionality of violence faced by transgender individuals. Despite the high victimization rates, about half of all violent victimizations were not reported to police, underscoring the need for improved reporting mechanisms and support for transgender individuals who experience violence.
The report, titled “Gender Identity Disparities in Criminal Victimization: National Crime Victimization Survey, 2017–2018,” co-authored by Andrew R. Flores, Ph.D., Ilan Meyer, Ph.D., Lynn L. Langton, Ph.D., and Jody L. Herman, Ph.D., is published in the American Journal of Public Health. This study sheds light on the alarming disparities in victimization rates between transgender and cisgender individuals, emphasizing the critical need for policies and interventions to address the safety and well-being of the transgender community.