Author

Sara K. Kuhn

Date of Award

January 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

RaeAnn E. Anderson

Abstract

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) bisexual+ (bi+, e.g., pansexual, polysexual) women disproportionately experience sexual violence victimization and their acceptability of applicable interventions is under-researched. Online self-report data was collected from 240 ethnoracially diverse bi+ adult American women, who identified as TGD (n = 69) or cisgender (cis; n = 171), and who read standardized descriptions of interventions. TGD bi+ women found intervention descriptions inclusive of their sexual and gender identities—and those including in-person active resistance strategy instruction (bystander/self-defense)—more acceptable. Intervention descriptions with alcohol use and/or sexual activity reduction components were largely found to be less acceptable. Intervention elements of importance included small group size, efficacy evidence—and chiefly—confidentiality. Most TGD bi+ women reported lifetime sexual violence victimization (88%) and childhood sexual abuse (57%). Anticipated victim-blaming and stigma may explain TGD bi+ women’s reduced acceptability of intervention descriptions targeting changing their behaviors to reduce sexual violence victimization.

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