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Rural Culture and Coercive Sexual Environments: A Queer Path from Victimization to Incarceration

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Abstract

Coercive sexual environments (CSE) create communities that support, and even encourage, the sexual harassment and exploitation of young women. While recent publications have investigated the culture surrounding rural CSEs, the research is absent on LGBTQA+ youth residing in rural places. While oppressive conditions exist globally for the queer population, rural culture—including the harboring of old-fashioned values and systemic patriarchy—manifests additional victimization. As such, the current research involved in-depth interviews with incarcerated girls and young women (n = 20), as well as community stakeholders (n = 50), residing within a primarily rural state. LGBTQA+ identifying participants reported being subjected to both direct (e.g., sexual victimization) and indirect (e.g., intentional avoidance to intervene) victimization, creating an abuse-to-prison pipeline. Community stakeholders appeared ill-equipped to provide responsive services, leading to continued victimization. Both proactive and responsive approaches can help build resiliency within communities while preventing system-involvement.

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Notes

  1. This chapter uses acronyms as presented in the existing literature although there is a preference for LGBTQA + as it is more encompassing.

  2. When asked about gender identity, the youth sample identified themselves as girls, while the adult sample identified as women.

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  1. Criminal Justice Program, Fort Hays State University, 600 Park St., Rarick Hall 131B, Hays, KS, USA

    April N. Terry

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Terry, A.N. Rural Culture and Coercive Sexual Environments: A Queer Path from Victimization to Incarceration. Crit Crim 31, 1097–1111 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-024-09747-7

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