Correlates of Women’s Sexual Assault Disclosure to Informal and Formal Support Sources

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Starzynski ◽  
Sarah E. Ullman ◽  
Henrietta H. Filipas ◽  
Stephanie M. Townsend
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Informal Support ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Formal Support ◽  
Social Reactions ◽  
Adult Sexual Assault ◽  
Attributions Of Blame ◽  
Assault Survivors

Deciding which people to tell about sexual assault is an important and potentially consequential decision for sexual assault survivors. Women typically receive many different positive and negative reactions when they disclose sexual assault to social support sources. A diverse sample of adult sexual assault survivors in the Chicago area was surveyed about sexual assault experiences, social reactions received when disclosing assault to others, attributions of blame, coping strategies, and PTSD. Analyses were run to identify demographic, assault, and postassault factors differentiating women disclosing to informal support sources only from those disclosing to both informal and formal support sources. Women disclosing to both formal and informal support sources experienced more stereotypical assaults, had more PTSD symptoms, engaged in less behavioral self-blame, and received more negative social reactions than those disclosing to informal support sources only. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

Adult Sexual Assault Survivors’ Experiences With Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs)

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (18) ◽  
pp. 3618-3639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giannina Fehler-Cabral ◽  
Rebecca Campbell ◽  
Debra Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Rape Survivors ◽  
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners ◽  
Adult Sexual Assault ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Hospital Emergency Departments ◽  
Assault Survivors

Sexual assault survivors often feel traumatized by the care received in traditional hospital emergency departments. To address these problems, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs were created to provide comprehensive medical care, crisis intervention, and forensic services. However, there is limited research on the actual experiences and emotional impact of sexual assault survivors who seek treatment from SANEs. This qualitative study examined twenty rape survivors’ experiences with forensic nurse examiners of a Midwestern SANE program. Findings suggest that SANEs provided survivors with care and compassion, clear explanations, and choices. Taken together, these positive experiences were perceived as “humanizing”. However, some survivors perceived forensic nurses as hurtful when they were not provided with choices, explanation, and/or acted cold and distant. Implications for future research on SANE care and practice are discussed.

Social Reactions, Coping Strategies, and Self-Blame Attributions in Adjustment to Sexual Assault

1996 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 505-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Ullman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Social Reactions ◽  
Assault Victims ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Negative Social Reactions

The present study investigated the impact of social reactions of others to sexual-assault victims on disclosure of their victimization. A convenience sample of adult sexual-assault victims ( N = 155) completed a mail survey in which they reported information about their sexual assaults and postassault experiences. As expected, all negative social reactions were strongly associated with increased psychological symptoms, whereas most positive social reactions were unrelated to adjustment. The only social reactions related to better adjustment were being believed and being listened to by others. Victims experiencing negative social reactions also reported poorer adjustment even when other variables known to affect psychological recovery were controlled. Avoidance coping mediated the association of negative social reactions with adjustment. Implications of these findings for research and treatment of sexual-assault survivors are discussed.

Reporting Sexual Assault: Survivors’ Satisfaction With Sexual Assault Response Personnel

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 1362-1382
Author(s):  
Amy L. Henninger ◽  
Michiko Iwasaki ◽  
Marianna E. Carlucci ◽  
Jeffrey M. Lating
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Patrol Officers ◽  
Office Staff ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Victim Advocates ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Assault Survivors

Although jurisdictions have attempted to improve their response procedures, sexual assault cases are often insufficiently investigated. This study examines the survey responses of 460 female sexual assault survivors regarding their experiences with response personnel. Overall satisfaction with response services was 66.1%. Victim advocates and forensic nurses received higher satisfaction ratings than did patrol officers, detectives, and State’s Attorney’s Office staff. The present study also found that 65% of the variance in overall satisfaction was accounted for by four personnel behaviors: respectful treatment, clearly explained procedures, believed their stories, and demonstrated cultural sensitivity. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

To Tell or Not to Tell: The Impact of Disclosure on Sexual Assault Survivors’ Recovery

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 631-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney E. Ahrens ◽  
Janna Stansell ◽  
Amy Jennings
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Rape Acknowledgment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Disclosure Patterns ◽  
Assault Survivors

There is a growing body of research examining the disclosure of sexual assault. But the focus on time to first disclosure does not capture the whole picture. Survivors also differ in how long they continue to disclose, to whom they disclose, and the types of reactions received during disclosure. To provide a more comprehensive view of disclosure, this study sought to identify patterns of disclosure among a sample of 103 female sexual assault survivors recruited from the community. This study also sought to identify characteristics of each disclosure pattern, differences in how each disclosure pattern tends to unfold (e.g., who is told and how they react), and differences in how these disclosure patterns are related to physical and mental health outcomes. Results revealed four distinct disclosure patterns: nondisclosers, slow starters, crisis disclosers, and ongoing disclosers. Assault characteristics and rape acknowledgment distinguished nondisclosers and slow starters from the other two disclosure groups. Slow starters were also less likely to disclose to police and medical personnel and received negative reactions less frequently while nondisclosers experienced more symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress than other groups. Implications of these findings for future research and practice are discussed.

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