Violent Victimization and Substance Dependency: Comparing Rural Incarcerated Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Women

Abstract

This exploratory study examines the relationship between sexual identity and violent victimization experiences as predictors of differences in illicit substance and alcohol use and substance use problems among a sample of incarcerated women in rural Appalachia (N = 400). Results indicated that, compared to heterosexual women, sexual minority women were more likely to have a lifetime history of weapon, physical, and sexual assault, and were younger at the time of their first violent victimization. Sexual minority women were younger than heterosexual women at the age of onset for intravenous drug use and at the time they first got drunk, and were more likely to report having overdosed. Multivariate analysis found violent victimization to be the strongest predictor of a history of overdose and substance use problems.

KEYWORDS:

• incarcerated women
• rural substance use
• sexual minority offenders
• substance dependency
• victimization

FUNDING

Funding support for this project was provided by grant number 1R01-DA033866 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Additional information

Funding

Funding support for this project was provided by grant number 1R01-DA033866 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.