ABSTRACT
Finkelhor and Asdigian's revised routine activities theory helps to better understand criminal victimization of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community while keeping the onus of the criminal act squarely on the shoulders of the perpetrators themselves, thereby better thwarting any ill-perceived stance of victim-blaming or victim culpability in such serious acts. Psychological distress and sexual orientation-based victimization were associated with increased use of alcohol for youthful lesbians, while perceived family support was associated with increased alcohol use of all LGBT youth. As for all victims of crime, navigating the criminal justice system is more manageably understood when the larger, often-overwhelming system is deconstructed into its three subsystems of cops, courts, and corrections. This chapter provides a cursory overview of the legal protections, rights, recourses, and resources for LGBT victims of crime, both at the federal level and throughout the various states.
