Not a Big Deal? Examining Help-Seeking Behaviors of Sexually Victimized Women on the College Campus

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1415-1429 ◽  
Author(s):  
McKenzie Wood ◽  
Amy Stichman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
College Experience ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
College Campus ◽  
Sexual Crimes ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Midwestern University

The sexual assault and coercion of women on university campuses continues to be an ongoing problem. It is estimated that more than 15% of women attending college experience some type of sexual assault or coercion each year. As universities and other social institutions begin to acknowledge the prevalence of sexual victimization, an increased emphasis has been placed on helping victims of sexual crimes. The current study uses results from 378 surveys completed by females at a midwestern university to examine the help-seeking behaviors of those who have been victimized. This study specifically focuses on formal and informal reporting, identifying help agents, and reasons for not reporting. Results reveal that 1% of women who were victimized reported their experience to a formal entity, whereas 45% told an informal agent, such as a friend or roommate. Reasons for not reporting included not identifying the experience as rape, wanting to keep the experience private, and feeling ashamed.

Help-Seeking Behaviors of Men Sexual Assault Survivors

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saba W. Masho ◽  
Anika Alvanzo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Physical Injury ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
History Of ◽  
Assault Survivors

Men sexual assault is a serious public health issue that is mostly underreported and unrecognized. Despite serious deleterious effects of sexual assault, most men victims do not seek professional help. This study was conducted to examine predictors of help-seeking practices among 91 men sexual assault survivors from a population-based survey. The study showed only 17.6% of the victims sought professional help. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that physical injury (OR = 6.58, 95% CI = 1.08-40.19), perpetration by family or friend (OR = 6.42, 95% CI = 1.47-28.04), history of rape before the age of 18 (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.11-1.69), and threat at the time of incident (OR = 7.08, 95% CI = 1.52-33.03) were significant predictors of help-seeking practices. This study confirms that the majority of men sexual assault victims do not seek professional help. Victims with physical injury or threat were more likely to seek help. Further study should investigate barriers for help-seeking practices. Efforts should be made to reach men with a history of sexual assault.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study of Sexual Assault Disclosure Impact and Help-Seeking on Support Providers

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 721-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Kirkner ◽  
Katherine Lorenz ◽  
Sarah E. Ullman ◽  
Rupashree Mandala
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Support Providers ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Diverse Community ◽  
The Impact

Friends, family, and significant others who receive disclosures of sexual assault from survivors are also susceptible to the effects of trauma. Most studies on the impact of sexual assault disclosure focus on the experiences of friends of survivors but not significant others or family members, and do not examine support providers’ (SPs) help-seeking behaviors. This study of 45 matched pairs of sexual assault survivors and SPs explored the impact of receiving a disclosure and dealing with the emotional weight of these disclosures. SPs were impacted emotionally and in post-disclosure behaviors. SPs reported feeling sadness, were triggered, felt angry, and felt inspired by survivors’ disclosures. Active cognitive and behavioral reactions included care-taking of survivors and engaging in prevention. SPs discussed different ways they sought help to deal with the disclosure and why they did or did not seek help post-disclosure. We provide recommendations for SPs and service providers using this data from a diverse, community sample.

Help-Seeking Behaviors and Eating Disorders in College Students

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen S. Tillman ◽  
Nichole Mueller ◽  
Madeline J. Kimlin ◽  
Abigail Kurtz
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors

Cultural Values Influence Mental-Health Help-Seeking in Asian and Latinx College Students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elayne Zhou ◽  
Yena Kyeong ◽  
Cecilia Cheung ◽  
Kalina Michalska;Michalska
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Ethnic Group Membership

The current study examined the influence of cultural values on mental health attitudes and help-seeking behaviors in college students of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Asian and Latinx college students (N = 159) completed an online survey in which they reported their adherence to cultural values and general attitudes towards mental health and help-seeking behavior. Factor analysis revealed two common factors of cultural values irrespective of ethnic background: Interdependent Orientation (IO) and Cultural Obligation (CO). Regardless of ethnicity, the more students endorsed IO values, the less likely they were to perceive a need for mental health treatment. IO value adherence also predicted more negative attitudes towards mental health. CO values were not predictive of perceived need or help-seeking behaviors. Findings highlight the importance of assessing certain cultural values independently from ethnicity and considering how the multidimensionality of culture may help explain shared mental health behaviors across ethnic group membership.

Supporting the Mental Health and Well-Being of First Responders from Career to Retirement: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Erin Smith ◽  
Greg Dean ◽  
Lisa Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Responder ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Holistic Approaches ◽  
Pubmed Database ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Introduction: First responders are at greater risk of mental ill health and compromised well-being compared to the general population. It is important to identify strategies that will be effective in supporting mental health, both during and after the first responder’s career. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed database (1966 to October 1, 2020) and the Google Scholar database (October 1, 2020) using relevant search terms, truncation symbols, and Boolean combination functions. The reference lists of all relevant publications were also reviewed to identify further publications. Results: A total of 172 publications were retrieved by the combined search strategies. Of these, 56 met the inclusion criteria and informed the results of this overview paper. These publications identified that strategies supporting first responder mental health and well-being need to break down stigma and build resilience. Normalizing conversations around mental health is integral for increasing help-seeking behaviors, both during a first responder’s career and in retirement. Organizations should consider the implementation of both pre-retirement and post-retirement support strategies to improve mental health and well-being. Conclusion: Strategies for supporting mental health and well-being need to be implemented early in the first responder career and reinforced throughout and into retirement. They should utilize holistic approaches which encourage “reaching in” rather than placing an onus on first responders to “reach out” when they are in crisis.

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