Feasibility,Acceptability and Initial Impact of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for Trans Women and Trans Feminine People: Findings From a Mixed Methods Pilot Trial

Abstract

Trans women and trans feminine people are exposed to alarming rates of sexual violence in the United States of America. Responsibility for this violence rests solely with perpetrators. However, violence prevention efforts that target perpetrators are generally ineffective, whereas those that empower participants to actively resist assault, termed empowerment self-defense (ESD), show more promise. ESD programs are largely inaccessible to trans women and do not address the unique needs of diverse gender communities. To address this gap, we tailored a 5-week, 20-hour ESD program for trans women and trans feminine people and piloted the tailored program to assess its acceptability, feasibility, and initial impact. Participants (N = 39) completed weekly acceptability surveys and were administered a baseline questionnaire battery and follow-up immediately after program completion and six months post-training assessing sexual victimization, self-defense attitudes and actions, and gender minority stress and resilience factors. Feasibility and acceptability analyses demonstrated high program attendance and satisfaction. In pre-post surveys, significant changes were observed over time reflecting preliminary evidence for improved sexual assertiveness, reductions in minority and posttraumatic stress, and reduced odds of sexual violence. Findings are discussed in terms of ESD as an essential component of a comprehensive violence prevention for trans women and trans feminine people.