Crime Victimization at the Intersection of Disability and LGBT Status in the U.S.

Using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), we examine crime victimization rates at the intersection of disability and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) status. Prior analysis of NCVS data has established that people with disabilities experience violent victimization at roughly 2.5 to 4 times the rate of their non-disabled peers and that LGBT people also experience high rates of victimization, especially when accounting for race/ethnicity. While recent research has examined the relationship between disability status and LGBT identity on crime victimization among college students, no intersectional analysis using a nationally representative general population sample has been conducted. Analysis of 2017 to 2018 NCVS pooled data illustrates that 4.5% of all U.S. residents aged 16 and older reported being the victim of a crime in the past year. This rate is 7.1% for those with a disability and 11.0% among LGBT individuals. Controlling for age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity, the odds of crime victimization are 5.5 times higher for those who are both disabled and LGBT compared to those who are neither. This analysis illustrates the importance of examining intersectionally marginalized populations in future research on crime victimization risk.