Author

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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