Online Disclosure of Sexual Victimization: A Systematic Review

We map the available scientific literature on how and why victims of sexual violence use digital platforms in the aftermath of victimization. Twenty-four empirical studies on sexual victimization and online disclosure were identified by systematically searching Web of Science and PsycINFO, checking reference lists, and consulting authors about relevant publications. The literature on online disclosure of sexual victimization does not yield a coherent picture. International literature pays limited attention to the various components of online disclosure like the characteristics of victims who disclosure online and the characteristics of the disclosure messages. Most studies focused on motivations for and reactions to online disclosure. Victims of sexual violence disclose sexual victimization online to seek support for clarification and validation, unburdening, documenting, seeking justice, informing others, or commercial goals (individual-oriented disclosure) and to provide support, educate, and as a form of activism (other-oriented disclosure). Responses to online disclosure are predominantly positive. Negative responses are rare. This review provides a comprehensive overview of multidisciplinary empirical information and displays knowledge gaps in victimological research. Future research should use robust quantitative and/or qualitative designs with substantial sample sizes, comparing victims who do disclose their sexual victimization online to victims who do not and comparing disclosure on different online platforms to increase generalizability. Potential for online support is identified, in which online disclosure can serve as a relatively safe alternative to off-line disclosure. This offers points of intervention for assistance and victim support in facilitating the use of the internet for support for victims of sexual violence.

Online disclosure of sexual victimisation: A systematic review

We map the available scientific literature on how and why victims of sexual violence are using digital platforms in the aftermath of victimisation. Twenty-four empirical studies on sexual victimisation and online disclosure were identified by systematically searching Web of Science and PsycINFO, checking reference lists and consulting authors about relevant publications. The literature on online disclosure of sexual victimisation does not yield a coherent picture. International literature pays limited attention to the various components of online disclosure like the characteristics of victims who disclosure online and the characteristics of the disclosure messages. Most studies focused on motivations for and reactions to online disclosure. Victims of sexual violence disclose sexual victimisation online to seek support, for clarification and validation, unburdening, documenting, seeking justice, informing others or commercial goals (individual-oriented disclosure) and to provide support, educate and as a form of activism (other-oriented disclosure). Responses to online disclosure are predominantly positive, containing advocacy and support. Negative responses are rare. This review provides a comprehensive overview of multidisciplinary empirical information and displays knowledge gaps in victimological research. Future research should use a robust quantitative and/or qualitative design with a substantial sample size, comparing victims who do disclose their sexual victimisation online with victims who do not, and compare disclosure on different online platforms to increase generalisability of the results. Potential for online informal support is identified, in which online disclosure can serve as a relatively safe alternative to offline disclosure. This offers important points of intervention for assistance and victim support by social workers in facilitating the use of the internet for support for victims of sexual violence.

Voluntary Disclosure Responses to Mandated Disclosure: Evidence from Australian Corporate Tax Transparency

In order to deter aggressive tax planning, the Australian government mandated public disclosure of three line items from large corporations' tax returns. However, there is no evidence that the mandated disclosure led public firms to pay more taxes (Hoopes, Robinson, and Slemrod 2018). Instead, I find that firms strategically offset expected reputational costs by voluntarily issuing supplemental information. Specifically, when managers expect new reputational costs from the mandated tax return disclosure (wherein the disclosure reveals an unexpectedly low tax liability) and low proprietary costs from a supplemental voluntary disclosure (wherein the firm discloses its nonaggressive tax planning), firms are likely to voluntarily disclose information that both preempts and supplements the government's mandatory disclosure. Thus, when mandatory disclosures are incomplete, firms will voluntarily issue additional information to remain in control of their disclosure environments.

Improving Identification of Food-Insecure Patients in an Outpatient Clinic Setting

Introduction: Food insecurity (FI) is defined as limited or uncertain access to enough nutritious food for all household members to lead an active and healthy life. In 2017, roughly 12% of US households reported FI. FI screening is not standard practice despite FI’s association with poor health outcomes. This study compared FI screening strategies in a community-based family medicine residency clinic to determine which strategies identified the largest number of FI patients. Methods: We conducted this study using a validated two-question screening tool with high sensitivity and specificity for identifying FI. Three implementation strategies of the screening tool were tested: two clinician-initiated and one staff-initiated. Data measured included opportunities to screen, patients actually screened, and the number of positive (disclosure) responses. Results: Clinician-initiated screening rates increased when clinicians followed a standard note template with embedded FI questionnaire vs no template (58.6% vs 7.1%). Despite this improvement, staff-initiated screening returned an even higher screening rate (95.2%). The disclosure of FI determined by staff-initiated screening was also higher (12.2%, similar to previously published data) than clinician-initiated screening (2.3%). Conclusions: Staff-initiated screening for FI was the best way of identifying FI patients and yielded results consistent with local and national estimates. Clinicians did not screen patients for FI often enough for this approach to be effective, but embedding FI screening into templated notes improved clinician screening rates. Disclosure of FI when staff conducted screening far exceeded disclosure when screening was initiated by clinicians.

Factors Associated With and Barriers to Disclosure of a Sexual Assault to Formal On-Campus Resources Among College Students

Sexual assault on college campuses occurs at high rates, but disclosure to formal on-campus resources remains low. This study used a mixed methodological survey to explore demographic and social characteristics of students who formally reported their assaults and those who did not and examined barriers to formal disclosure. Responses revealed that students who disclosed to formal on-campus resources suffered frequent polyvictimization, had high rates of physical and emotional consequences, and were mostly White women involved in campus organizations. Barriers to formal resource utilization were identified at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community levels.

Has Carbon Disclosure Become More Transparent in the Global Logistics Industry? An Investigation of Corporate Carbon Disclosure Strategies between 2010 and 2015

Global logistics companies are increasingly disclosing carbon related information due to institutional and stakeholder pressures. Existing research, however, is limited to categorizing these pressures and their influences on corporate carbon disclosure strategies. In particular, literature to date has not distinguished between different carbon disclosure strategies and how they may have changed over time. In response, this paper: (1) proposes a framework that depicts four different carbon disclosure responses and strategies based on internal and external pressures; and (2) subsequently analyzes and compares corporate carbon disclosure strategies between 2010 and 2015. Using a sample of 39 leading global logistics companies, carbon disclosure strategies are categorized based on the analysis of 25 applied carbon management practices from Bloomberg ESG to see if carbon management practices and the associated strategies have changed. The findings show overall shifts to more transparent corporate carbon disclosure strategies between 2010 and 2015 with an increase of applied carbon management practices in both internal and external actions.

Understanding Support Providers’ Views of “Helpful” Responses to Sexual Assault Disclosures: The Impacts of Self-Blame and Physical Resistance

Prior research on the factors associated with various disclosure responses has often been conducted on sexual assault victims and formal support providers, while informal helpers, who are the most common recipients of disclosures, have received far less attention. This experimental study examined potential informal helpers’ views of disclosure reactions and their influence on the self-reported likelihoods of engaging in those responses. Undergraduate students at a large Canadian university ( N = 239) received vignettes describing a hypothetical sexual assault disclosure that varied on victim’s self-blame and physical resistance, and then rated common disclosure reactions. The results revealed that participants’ perceptions of various responses were at odds with victims’ experiences, with many negative responses, such as victim blame and egocentrism, viewed as equally or more helpful than positive responses, such as emotional support. Moreover, when the victim blamed herself and did not physically resist, positive responses were seen as less helpful whereas negative responses were seen as more helpful, with some notable gender differences. Regression analyses indicated that the perceived helpfulness of each response was the strongest predictor of the likelihood of providing that response. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Disclosure dilemmas: disclosure issues in the Australian energy and resources sector

In light of the continuing buoyancy in commodity and energy prices and the related spike in mergers and acquisitions activity in the energy and resources sector, energy and resources companies’ disclosure obligations are coming under closer scrutiny, both during merger talks and in the ordinary course of business. Company directors and officers need to have a sound understanding of their disclosure responsibilities, so that they can navigate the disclosure minefield with confidence during important periods of growth and consolidation for their company and the sector in general. This paper will highlight key risks and considerations that energy and resources companies should be aware of when considering their disclosure obligations. A better understanding of several specific disclosure situations is provided, including: the enforcement regime that applies to energy and resources companies in relation to disclosure issues (including liability for individual directors and officers); disclosure obligations during merger discussions; appropriate disclosure responses when a bidder comes knocking; difficulties in providing information to prospective bidders; the application of ASX disclosure carve-outs to merger discussions—when they cease to apply; potential insider trading issues in a takeover context; the impact of joint venture arrangements on disclosure obligations; and, specific disclosure obligations for energy and resources companies and proposed changes to oil and gas reporting. Several recent incidents and prosecutions relating to public disclosure issues in the sector are examined to provide a clearer idea of the risks relating to non-disclosure or late disclosure.