“Where is the Safe Haven?” Transgender Women’s Experiences of Victimization and Help-Seeking across the Life Course

Transgender women report high rates of interpersonal victimization, including child abuse and maltreatment, intimate partner violence and sexual assault, and community and bias-related violence. Transgender individuals experience distinct barriers to help-seeking, including fear of discrimination, harassment, or violence by police, being outed as transgender by partners, and discrimination by social services for survivors of violence. The present study explores experiences of cumulative victimization across the life course and barriers to help-seeking behaviors among a sample of 21 transgender women in Chicago. Study findings can be used to inform interventions that are inclusive of transgender women survivors.