Author

Sara K. Kuhn

Date of Award

December 2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

RaeAnn E. Anderson

Abstract

Bisexual women are disproportionately victimized by sexual violence due to minority stress. Understanding their acceptability of and preferences for sexual violence vulnerability reduction interventions is critical for successful prevention efforts. Self-report data was collected online from 240 ethnoracially- and gender-diverse bi+ women and 65 heterosexual, white cisgender women (controls). Bi+ women preferred bi+ inclusive interventions. The sole intervention found significantly acceptable for most bi+ women (62%) was a modified, bi+ inclusive Bringing in the Bystander®. Yet, most bi+ women ranked the Sexual Assault Risk and Alcohol Use Reduction Program and Brief Drinking Intervention as most preferred. The Hookup Reduction Intervention was found least acceptable by all women. Confidentiality was ranked in the top five most important intervention elements by the majority of all women. Most bi+ women (80%; 49% of controls) reported adult sexual victimization histories. Anticipated stigma/victim-blaming may explain lower acceptability rates for interventions targeting victimized women over bystanders/perpetrators.

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