Traumatic victimization in the lives of lesbian and bisexual women : a contextual approach

K. Balsam

This paper takes a contextual approach to understanding traumatic victimization experiences of lesbian and bisexual women over the life span. Expanding on feminist perspectives on violence against women, the concept of " cultural victimization" is used to explore the role of societal homophobia in shaping the experience of victimization for lesbian and bisexual women. An overview of the existing literature on the prevalence and impact of childhood abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and hate crimes among this population is provided. The relationship between sexual identity development and trauma is discussed. This article provides a framework for understanding lesbian and bisexual women_s victimization, lends insight to clinicians working with lesbian/bisexual survivors, and provides direction for future research.KEYWORDS. Lesbians, bisexuality, trauma, victimization, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, hate crimes, homophobia[Copies are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Center. The Haworth Press, Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580, USA]