Sexual Victimization Risk Among Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Women

Using a minority stress lens, this study examines factors associated with sexual victimization risk by analyzing data from 1,516 (170 sexual minority and 1,346 heterosexual) women’s online self-report surveys. Forty-six percent of women reported an experience of sexual victimization, and a chi-square test revealed a higher percentage of victimization among sexual minority (67.6%) than heterosexual (43.3%) women. Stepwise logistic regression revealed vulnerability factors (e.g., posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic sexual behavior, and maladaptive coping), and to a lesser extent risk-taking behaviors (e.g., risky sex and drug use) significantly predicted victimization, rendering the effects of sexual orientation non-significant. These findings suggest that the vulnerabilities associated with having a minoritized status play an important role in sexual minority women’s sexual victimization risk.