The Impact of Early Life Victimization and Prejudice on Adult Socioeconomic Well‐Being Among Sexual Minority Populations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19220907 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joanne M Kaufman (0000-0001-9123-0458, University at Albany, State University of New York, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociological Forum (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0884-8971 • E-ISSN: 1573-7861 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/socf.70074 |
| OpenAlex | W7155520275 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 74 |
Sexual minority populations experience higher rates of violent victimization and prejudice than heterosexual individuals. While both have long‐ranging negative effects, when they happen earlier in life (childhood, adolescence) they have the potential to undermine educational processes, self‐esteem, mental health, and physical health, and contribute to reductions in adult socioeconomic well‐being. I drew on a theory about victimization in the life course, the stress process model, and research on sexual minority populations to examine how victimization and prejudice in childhood and adolescence may impact adult socioeconomic well‐being among sexual minorities. Using structural equation modeling on the Add Health data covering more than 20 years of the life course, I found that exposure to several types of early life victimization and school prejudice led to more adult financial problems and lower educational attainment among those identifying as bisexual, gay/lesbian, and mostly heterosexual, while intimate partner violence led to reduced income among bisexuals. Bisexuals were most strongly affected by different types of victimization and prejudice. There was evidence of mediation through educational self‐efficacy, self‐esteem, school belonging, depression, and health, though it was primarily for bisexuals. These results highlight how early victimization may reduce socioeconomic well‐being among sexual minorities, contributing to patterns of inequality
Educational attainment · Life course approach · Mediation · Minority stress · Poison control · Prejudice (legal term) · Sexual minority · Socioeconomic status · Structural equation modeling · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |