“Looking back, I didn’t feel even a little bit safe”: A mixed methods examination of transgender women’s help-seeking and attainment following interpersonal victimization.

Transgender women experience high rates of victimization across the life course, yet little is known about their experiences of help-seeking and attainment. Existing research has largely overlooked the cumulative and contextual nature of these experiences. This study addresses these gaps by using a mixed methods design and the life history calendar method to explore transgender women's experiences of help-seeking and attainment following victimization. We employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. In the quantitative phase, we conducted life history calendar interviews with 103 transgender women ages 18-35 in Milwaukee and Chicago to document experiences of victimization and help-seeking across the life course. Informed by these findings, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 25 participants to further explore barriers and facilitators to help-seeking and attainment. Quantitative findings revealed low levels of formal help-seeking for victimization-related needs and mixed reports of experiences attaining help. Qualitative data identified barriers to help-seeking such as stigma, social location, fear, and lack of information. Findings also illuminated how cultural beliefs, systemic discrimination, and cumulative trauma shaped participants' experiences of help attainment. Informal networks, including chosen families and community groups, emerged as critical sources of support. Findings underscore the need for affirming and culturally responsive services. The life history calendar proved a valuable tool for capturing trajectories of victimization and help-seeking and attainment and may be useful in future research with marginalized populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).