The Role of Childhood Adversity in LGBTQ+ Incarceration

• In Event: Advancing Victimization Research: Innovations from the Victimology and Victim Studies Research Lab

Abstract

LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately incarcerated, yet little research examines how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) contribute to this disparity. This study explores the relationship between ACEs and incarceration, examining how differences in ACE exposure between cisgender and transgender individuals may impact incarceration risk and whether later experiences of victimization play a role. Using data from the TransPop Survey (2016–2018), this analysis compares incarceration risk among cisgender and transgender individuals to better understand how early-life adversity shapes justice system involvement. By exploring how childhood adversity and victimization may intersect, this research highlights the unique vulnerabilities transgender people face and how these experiences shape pathways into the criminal legal system, reinforcing incarceration disparities and deepening existing social inequities.

Authors

• Champ Champenstein, University of Nebraska Omaha

• Lane Kirkland Gillespie, University of Nebraska Omaha