Elisabeth Wells A Christchurch study claims 'homosexuals, bisexuals and those who identify as heterosexual but who have had same-sex encounters' are more likely to have experienced abuse during their childhood. It's based on the New Zealand Mental Health Survey, where almost 13,000 people aged 16 and over were interviewed face-to-face. Researchers asked participants about their sexual identification, as well as if they had ever had same-sex experiences or relationships. It's the first time data on both sexual identity and same-sex experiences have been collected in New Zealand in a national sample. Associate Professor Elisabeth Wells from the University of Otago, Christchurch, says the more adverse events experienced in childhood, the more likely someone was to belong to one of the 'non-exclusively heterosexual' groups. She says there were associations between sexuality and experiences of sexual assault, rape and experiencing or witnessing violence. “People who either identify themselves as homosexual or bisexual, or have had a same-sex encounter or relationship, tend to come from more disturbed backgrounds. Even so, the majority of people from disturbed backgrounds are heterosexual in behaviour and identity," she says. Ninety eight per cent of participants identified themselves as heterosexual. Of participants, 0.8 percent identified as homosexual, 0.6 percent as bisexual and 0.3 percent labelled their sexual orientation as ‘something else'. More than 80 percent of those who identified as bisexual were women. Experiencing a same-sex encounter was more common than identifying as either homosexual or bisexual. Nearly two percent reported that they had been in a same-sex relationship while another three percent reported having experienced a same-sex encounter. Wells said the study provides information for policymakers on the prevalence of homosexual and bisexual identity. "Researchers will in future use the information to better understand the relative risks of suicide and mental disorder amongst people from different sexual orientations."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 23rd July 2010 - 11:04am