Multivariate Patterns of Substance Use, Minority Stress and Environmental Violence Associated with Sexual Revictimization of Lesbian and Bisexual Emerging Adult Women

Abstract

This study documented between-group differences in factors associated with sexual revictimization histories in a sample of young sexual minority women. Diverse samples of lesbian (N = 204, age_M = 23.55 years) and bisexual (N = 249, age_M = 23.35 years) women from the United States were recruited using the CloudResearch platform to assess factors associated with recent experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants were categorized into four groups based on self-reports of sexual victimization (a) during childhood and (b) during adulthood in intimate relationships. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to model between-group differences in three variable domains: Past-year substance use involvement, minority stress, and violence in relationship and community settings. Lesbian women reporting sexual revictimization in adulthood reported significantly higher scores for measures of past-year substance use involvement and negative consequences, daily discrimination experiences, relational victimization, and criminal victimization, compared to their counterparts with no history of sexual victimization. Among bisexual women, sexual revictimization was associated with a similar pattern of between-group differences. The sexual revictimization experiences of sexual minority women appear to occur in the context of multivariate patterns of harmful substance use, minority stress, and violence in both relationship and community settings. Our findings have implications for how intervention services are provided to emerging adult sexual minority women who experience multiple episodes of sexual abuse during their lifespans. Recommendations include specialized training for counseling or intervention service providers, integrated trauma-informed services that address both substance use and sexual assault issues, and affirmative services for sexual minority women.

Keywords:

• Sexual revictimization
• sexual minority women
• substance use
• minority stress
• intimate partner violence

Authors contribution

Dr. Tubman conceptualized the study, supervised study implementation and data collection. All authors participated in manuscript writing, data interpretation, text revisions, and approved the final version of the manuscript. All authors agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the content of the manuscript.

Ethical approval

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the host university approved the study that collected the data used in this manuscript.

Consent form

Participants provided active informed consent to participate in the study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Code availability

Not Applicable.

Data availability statement

Data are available upon request from the first author.

Additional information

Funding

Data collection for the present study was supported by seed award funding from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Psychology at American University.

Notes on contributors

Jonathan G. Tubman

Jonathan G. Tubman is an applied developmental psychologist and a Professor in the Department of Psychology at American University. His research program focuses on health risk behaviors, substance use and mental health problems among adolescent and emerging adults. Applications of this interdisciplinary program of research include the development and evaluation of developmentally appropriate and culturally competent prevention and intervention programs and the translation of empirically-supported research findings into practice recommendations for front-line practitioners working with vulnerable youth populations.

Candace Moore

Candace Moore is a graduate student in the master’s program in the Department of Psychology at American University.

Jacquie Lee

Jacquie Lee is a graduate of the master’s program in the Department of Psychology at American University.

Avital J. Shapiro

Avital J. Shapiro is a graduate student in the master’s program in the Department of Psychology at American University.