SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND CRIMINAL AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR

This study was undertaken to help determine if homosexuals and bisexuals are more or less criminal and/or violent than heterosexuals. Based upon samples of 197 male and 279 female college students, Pearson correlations revealed several significant, but weak, relationships between sexual orientation and most forms of self-reported criminal and/or violent behavior patterns. Among males, the data generally suggested that heterosexuals were more criminal and violent than homosexuals (except in the case of drug offenses), but that bisexuals were more criminal and violent than heterosexuals. Among females, lesbians (including only a few females with exclusively homosexual preferences) were generally more criminal and violent than heterosexuals, although they were still less so than males (except for homosexual males). Results suggest that some important differences may exist among both sexes regarding relationships between sexual orientations and criminal/violent behavior. © 1990.