Bisexual women’s recovery after sexual assault: Stigma, negative social reactions, and hazardous drinking.

Abstract

Bisexual women experience high rates of sexual victimization, receive more negative social reactions from others upon disclosing experiences of sexual assault, and report greater hazardous alcohol use compared to heterosexual and lesbian women. The current study examined how experienced and internalized binegativity and bisexual identity affirmation relate to these disparities among a sample of 130 bisexual women who disclosed their sexual assault experience to at least 1 person. A moderated-mediation model was tested, which specified that experienced binegativity would indirectly relate to increased alcohol use via the impact of negative social reactions to assault disclosure, and that this indirect effect would be moderated by internalized binegativity and identity affirmation. Results indicated greater experienced binegativity predicted greater negative reactions to sexual assault disclosure, which predicted increased hazardous alcohol use. This indirect effect was qualified by internalized binegativity, such that negative social reactions to disclosure predicted hazardous alcohol use only in the context of higher internalized binegativity. Bisexual identity affirmation did not moderate the link between reactions to disclosure and drinking. Findings identify experienced and internalized antibisexual stigma as important targets for intervention efforts and highlight the need for campaigns that reduce binegativity at the individual and population level. Public Significance StatementBisexual women with histories of sexual assault who encounter negative stereotypes of bisexuality may be more likely to receive unsupportive responses from others when they disclose sexual assault. These unsupportive responses in turn may contribute to increased risk for hazardous alcohol use especially for women who have internalized negative attitudes toward bisexuality to a greater extent. Results highlight the need to reduce antibisexual stereotypes and attitudes in efforts to prevent the detrimental impact of unsupportive responses on alcohol use and to improve bisexual women's wellbeing.

Sexual Victimization Outcomes and Adjustment Among Bisexual Women: A Review of the Quantitative Literature

“…Studies also ranged in the level of focus on bisexual women’s experiences. Only four studies (Kelley et al, 2018a, 2018b; McConnell & Messman-Moore, 2019; Salim et al, 2021) focused specifically on bisexual women’s experiences and included an assessment of bisexual minority stress. Based on the different study procedures and measures used, the samples in Kelley et al (2018a) and (2018b) appear to be unique samples of bisexual women.…”

“…Salim et al (2021) included a sample of bisexual women, recruited via Mturk, who had experienced ASA and had disclosed the assault to someone. This study assessed multiple factors related to bisexual identity: experienced binegativity, internalized binegativity, and bisexual identity affirmation (i.e., holding a positive view of one’s bisexuality).…”

“…Greater binegativity was related to both sexual victimization and alcohol outcomes. In one study (Salim et al, 2021), the link between sexual victimization and alcohol outcomes was explained by receiving negative reactions to disclosure, but this effect was stronger for women who had internalized binegativity. Further, McConnell and Messman-Moore (2019) found that CSA predicted increased hazardous drinking only for bisexual women who also reported average to high levels of binegativity.…”

“…Within this framework several factors were assessed in relation to outcomes, including interpersonal and social factors (i.e., social support, reactions to disclosure of assault; Long et al, 2007; Sigurvinsdottir & Ullman, 2015, 2016a, 2016b), and one study considered the effects of holding a racial minority identity in addition to bisexual identity (Sigurvinsdottir & Ullman, 2016b). However, only three studies used a minority stress-informed approach and assessed experiences of binegativity (McConnell & Messman-Moore, 2019; Kelley et al, 2018a; Salim et al, 2021). Greater binegativity was related to both sexual victimization and alcohol outcomes.…”

Dimensions of binegativity differentially predict drinking to cope motivations and alcohol use severity among bisexual women.

“…It should be noted that all three subtypes of binegativity may be considered distal minority stressors, as they present as external influences. Empirical research using the ABES has demonstrated excellent internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity among bisexual persons (Brewster & Moradi, 2010) and among bisexual women, in particular (Kelley, Ehlke, Braitman, et al, 2018; Salim et al, 2021).…”