Lexy Lunger, “Navigating Help-Seeking: A Mixed Methods Examination of Barriers and Pathways to Transgender Women’s Help-Seeking and Attainment Following Interpersonal Victimization”
Mentor: Jane Hereth, Social Work, Social Welfare (Helen Bader School of)
Poster #175
Transgender women experience disproportionately high rates of interpersonal victimization yet face significant barriers when seeking support services. While research has documented their exclusion from intimate partner violence (IPV)-related services, there remains a gap in understanding their experience in seeking and accessing other critical services, including child abuse support and substance use treatment. This study seeks to address that gap by examining transgender women’s help-seeking behaviors and experiences across the life course. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, we conducted life history calendar (LHC) interviews with 103 transgender women (ages 18-35) in Chicago and Milwaukee, followed by in-depth qualitative interviews with a sub-sample of 25 participants. Findings reveal low rates of help attainment across multiple service domains. In childhood, only 19% accessed child abuse services, while in adulthood, 20% sought survivor services, and 24% sought legal assistance. Although 82% accessed mental health care in adulthood, many did so for general mental health needs rather than victimization-related support. Qualitative findings underscore the structural and cultural barriers transgender women face in seeking help, including fear of discrimination, misgendering, and systemic bias. Many participants avoided legal and survivor services due to concerns about safety, distrust in law enforcement, and the absence of affirming providers. While some found support through LGBTQIA2S+-specific organizations, others struggled to locate culturally relevant resources. The fragmented nature of available services often required participants to navigate multiple providers to piece together comprehensive care. Despite high levels of interpersonal victimization and violence, transgender women in this study experienced numerous barriers to accessing survivor services. These findings highlight the need for service providers to adopt inclusive, affirming, and culturally competent approaches to current services and create accessible care specifically to support transgender survivors.