An Intersectional Exploration of Outness, Encountered Discrimination and Violence, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Asexual Youth across Gender Identities

Zurong Liang; Yutian Chen

doi:10.1007/s10964-024-01999-4

An Intersectional Exploration of Outness, Encountered Discrimination and Violence, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Asexual Youth across Gender Identities

J Youth Adolesc. 2024 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s10964-024-01999-4. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Zurong Liang¹, Yutian Chen²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sociology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. joeliang@zju.edu.cn.
² Department of Sociology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

PMID: 38739331
DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-01999-4

Abstract

Current research on asexual youth is limited, especially in understanding the impact of their outness and the intersection of sexual orientation with gender minority identities. This study investigates the influence of outness on experiences of harassment, discrimination, violence, and the risk of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among asexual youth, with a focus on those with transgender and non-binary identities. Data for this study were obtained from the 2021 Ace Community Survey, an international online survey designed to assess the needs and health status of the Ace community, targeting respondents aged 13 and older. The analysis involved a subsample of 5574 respondents aged 13 to 24 (mean age = 19.28), including 2361 cisgender (mean age = 19.65), 1,195 transgender (mean age = 18.80), and 2,018 non-binary individuals (mean age = 19.13). The results revealed that experienceds of sexual violence, verbal aggression, and physical harassment and bullying not only correlated with but also completely mediated the relationship between outness and NSSI. Asexual transgender youth experienced heightened levels of discrimination and NSSI but demonstrated notable resilience against the negative effects of identity disclosure, highlighting complex dynamics of vulnerability and protection within these communities.

Keywords: Asexual youth; Harassment, discrimination and violence; Intersectionality; Non-suicidal self-injury; Outness; Transgender and non-binary identities.