Social Work Commons^™

Queer Women's Sexual Experiences After Sexual Violence In A Non-Heterosexual Relationship, Amee Catalano

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This quantitative study explores the sexual experiences of queer women after sexual violence perpetrated by a previous intimate partner in a non-heterosexual relationship. Sixty individuals identifying as queer women with a sexual violence experience completed an anonymous online survey consisting of questions related to help-seeking behaviors and sexual distress. The Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R) (Derogatis et al., 2008) was adapted to assess levels of sexual distress amongst the sample population.

This study found three themes: 1.) current sexual experiences carry anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms, 2.) sexual violence experience(s) as impacting libido, desire, and behavior, and 3.) current sexual …

Standing On The Edge Of The "Rubyfruit Jungle" : Lesbians Recall The Experience Of Questioning In Therapy, Emily Willstatter

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was twofold: to pursue an existing gap in the literature on therapy with people questioning their sexuality; and to represent a lesbian perspective on the experience of questioning one’s sexual orientation. A previous study (Jones et al., 2003) found that gay and bisexual people who were uncertain of their sexual orientation at the start of therapy rated the treatment as overall less beneficial than gay and bisexual people who had begun therapy while certain of their identities. This study explored the possible reasons behind this finding by investigating a small (N=13) but diverse group of …

It's Time To Talk About Sex And Social Work : Why Human Sexuality Education Matters For Social Work Practice, Sophia R. Glass

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This researched investigated human sexuality training received in social work programs and its impact on clinical practice. Specifically, it examined clinicians’ comfort and competency addressing sex and sexuality related topics with clients. 67 participants were recruited via a nonprobability snowball sampling technique, and data was gathered anonymously through a secure web-based survey instrument. The findings supported the author’s hypothesis that there is a substantial lack of human sexuality training in social work programs despite the finding that sexuality is highly relevant to clinical work. Barriers to social workers effectively addressing these topics with clients were identified as inadequate education and …

I Googled. "How Do You Know You're Gay?" : A Qualitative Study On Lgbtq Identity Formation And The Internet /, Rebekah M. Meresman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, exploratory study examined the impact of the internet on the identity formation process of LGBTQ individuals. This study aimed to answer the question: How and why do some LGBTQ-identified adults use the internet as a tool to formulate their sexual/gender identity? Through an anonymous online survey, LGBTQ identified participants were asked several open-ended questions about their identity formation experiences, and the role of the internet on this process.

Fifty individuals participated in the study, from a wide range of sexual and gender identities, half of which identified as transgender or gender non-conforming. Of these participants, most indicated that …