LGBTQ youth are vulnerable to intimate partner violence, and are more likely to experience physical and psychological dating abuse, sexual coercion, and cyber dating abuse than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Working closely with young people is a critical component to building beloved, just communities, effective prevention, and early intervention. We believe it is impossible to create meaningful, successful programming for youth without the direct involvement of youth. Developing youth as sources of information and expertise and working with youth to identify the issues most relevant to them have multiple advantages.

Key words: domestic violence, intimate partner violence, LGBTQ survivors, LGBTQ IPV, LGBTQ youth, youth empowerment