Latent Profiles of Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Disclosure Among Undergraduate Women

Abstract

The types of social reactions that victims receive when they disclose experiences of sexual assault are important for post-trauma recovery. Using a person-centered analytic approach, we identified latent profiles based upon the nature of two types of negative (turning against and unsupportive acknowledgment) and two types of positive (emotional support and informational/tangible aid) reactions received by 300 undergraduate women who disclosed sexual assault. Analyses identified four latent profiles characterized by (a) moderate emotional support/low negative reactions, (b) moderate emotional support/moderate negative reactions, (c) high positive/some unsupportive acknowledgment reactions, and (d) moderate positive/high negative reactions. Differences between the profiles in sexual assault acknowledgment, self- and perpetrator-blame, and some assault-related characteristics (victim injury but not victim or perpetrator intoxication) were identified. Group comparisons revealed that the two profiles characterized by greater negative reactions reported greater posttraumatic stress, whereas the profile characterized by moderate support/moderate negative reactions reported greater depression. No differences were identified for hazardous alcohol use. Findings highlight the importance of addressing negative reactions to sexual assault disclosure as potential barriers to recovery. Colleges may benefit from programming targeted at disclosure recipients as part of violence prevention efforts. A broader societal shift is also imperative to eliminate stigmatization of victims. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843211038924 .

Online Social Reactions to Disclosure of Sexual Victimization via #MeToo and Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

“…It is notable that the current sample largely consisted of survivors who had experienced more severe forms of sexual assault (i.e., rape). Recent research also suggests that survivors who experience more in-person negative social reactions to disclosure also reported greater severity/force at the time of an assault (Salim et al, 2022). In the current sample, receipt of negative online social reactions to disclosure via #MeToo were associated with increased PTSD symptomatology after accounting for sexual assault severity.…”

Distinguishing Types of Sexual Assault Among Young People: A Latent Class Analysis Approach

“…Understanding what happened could lead to earlier disclosure, which research identifies as beneficial for utilizing appropriate help services and medical care (Ahrens et al, 2010), thereby potentially mitigating negative consequences in the aftermath of an assault. A more fine-grained vocabulary of assault could also increase bystander awareness (McMahon & Banyard, 2012), thus empowering youth to intervene when one person risks violating another, as well as reduce the risk of negative social reactions from peers when the victim discloses a sexual assault which is not uncommon and a known barrier to recovery (Salim et al, 2022).…”

Latent profiles of social reactions to sexual assault disclosure among bisexual women.

“…The degree of SA acknowledgment for the most distressing assault was assessed with one question: “To what degree do you consider what happened to be sexual assault?” Participants rated the question on a scale from 1 ( definitely not sexual assault ) to 7 ( definitely sexual assault ). This single item has been used in previous research to assess SA acknowledgment with undergraduate women (Salim, Eshelman, Bhuptani, & Messman, 2022).…”

“…Participants rated the question on a scale from 1 (definitely not sexual assault) to 7 (definitely sexual assault). This single item has been used in previous research to assess SA acknowledgment with undergraduate women (Salim, Eshelman, Bhuptani, & Messman, 2022).…”

“…Specifically, we used a person-centered analytic approach, latent profile analysis, to identify subgroups of women with different patterns of disclosure reactions and bisexual minority stress. Based on previous person-centered research on reactions to violence disclosure (Salim, Eshelman, Bhuptani, & Messman, 2022; Woerner et al, 2019), we expected to identify at least three profiles or subgroups of women with varying levels of turning against, unsupportive acknowledgment, positive reactions, and bisexual minority stress. Next, we compared assault-related experiences (i.e., self-blame, SA acknowledgment) and mental health (i.e., PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, hazardous drinking), between the different latent profiles identified.…”