Social Reactions to Disclosure of Sexual Victimization and Adjustment Among Survivors of Sexual Assault

Abstract

How a support provider responds to disclosure of sexual victimization has important implications for the process of recovery. The present study examines the associations between various positive and negative social reactions to sexual assault disclosure and psychological distress, coping behavior, social support, and self-esteem in a sample of college women (N = 374). Social reactions to assault disclosure that attempted to control the survivor's decisions were associated with increased symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety and lower perceptions of reassurance of worth from others. Blaming social reactions were associated with less self-esteem and engagement in coping via problem solving. Social reactions that provided emotional support to the survivor were associated with increased coping by seeking emotional support. Contrary to expectations, social reactions that treated the survivor differently were associated with higher self-esteem. Implications are discussed.

Neuroticism, Extraversion, Perceived Social Support, and Escape Television Viewing as Determinants of Psychological Distress in Crime Victims

“…Maximizing the opportunities for a victim to perceive as much support as possible thus seems an important task for the members of the social network of a victim. Self-evident as this might seem, research has indicated that negative reactions from support network members like withdrawal and victim blaming are not uncommon (Orchowski et al, 2013;Silver, Wortman, & Crofton, 1990). In terms of policy implications, this finding suggests that as a part of the relief effort, victim support workers and organizations should try sensitizing (key) members of a victim's social network to this issue.…”

“…This typology is broadly accepted and has been used with research populations like students, battered women, and patients suffering from physical or mental disorders (e.g., Brissette, Scheier, & Carver, 2002;Cohen, Mermelstein, Kamarck, & Hoberman, 1985;Kaniasty & Norris, 1992). Because previous research has indicated that crime victims experience beneficial effects from having companions and being able to talk to others about their ordeal, from rebuilding self-esteem (Frieze & Bookwala, 1996) through supporting the seeking of emotional support (Orchowski et al, 2013), this typology is also highly relevant for victims of crime.…”

“…Social support, defined as "those social interactions or relationships that provide individuals with actual assistance or that embed individuals within a social system believed to provide love, caring, or sense of attachment to a valued social group or dyad" (Hobfoll, 1988, p. 121), traditionally has been assumed to be one of the most powerful moderators of the impact of traumatic exposure on mental health (Frieze & Bookwala, 1996;Orchowski, Untied, & Gidycz, 2013). Specifically, PSS provides a stronger buffer against distress than support actually received (Bolger, Zuckerman, & Kessler, 2000;Norris & Kaniasty, 1996).…”

Disclosing Sexual Assault Within Social Networks: A Mixed‐Method Investigation

“…While sexual assault is underreported to formal responders like the police, it is often disclosed to informal responders within social networks (Ahrens, Campbell, TernierThames, Wasco & Sefl, 2007;Fisher et al, 2003;Starzynski, Ullman, Filipas & Townsend, 2005). Survivors' choice of disclosure recipient can affect the type of response received (Ahrens & Aldana, 2012), which is associated with well-being (Orchowski et al, 2013;Ullman & Peter-Hagene, 2014), so understanding to whom survivors disclose is an important part of understanding their help-seeking experiences. However, this topic has been only minimally explored.…”

“…Survivors' choices regarding whether to seek help within their social networks and to whom of their available network members they disclose can have implications for the kinds of responses they receive (Ahrens & Aldana, 2012), which can, in turn, influence their continued help-seeking and well-being Orchowski, Untied & Gidycz, 2013;Ullman & PeterHagene, 2014). Thus, it is important to examine correlates of disclosure as part of identifying strategies to improve post-assault experiences.…”