Sexual abuse and disclosure concerns of youth in foster care.

BACKGROUND: Youth in foster care have higher lifetime rates of sexual abuse victimization than their peers who are not in foster care. This sexual abuse occurs before, during, and after their placement. Yet there is a dearth of qualitative research focused on the characteristics of the abuse and the disclosure experiences of youth in foster care. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to understand potential barriers to disclosure for youth who were abused while in foster care. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: Our study used anonymous, archival data of 143 one-on-one chat sessions on the US based National Sexual Assault Online Hotline (NSAOH) with youth currently living in foster care who sought help for sexual abuse. METHODS: Hotline staff summarized youth's disclosure experiences and barriers using an assessment that included open-ended responses. We used thematic analysis to code text segments. RESULTS: Youth in foster care most often discussed that the abuse was being perpetrated by a foster family member (66 %). Disclosure barriers included concerns for physical safety, not wanting to move placements, not trusting the system to keep them safe, and not wanting to disclose again after previously receiving a negative reaction to their disclosure. CONCLUSIONS: Youth in foster care who seek help for sexual abuse while in the foster care system have unique barriers to disclosure. This study underscores the need for more qualitative research with youth in foster care and includes safety recommendations and implications for training and education of those who work with youth in foster care.

Sexual violence prevalence and disclosure patterns among college undergraduates: exploring types of sexual violence and incident-specific characteristics.

Objective: Study explores the role of well-documented individual-level correlates of a range of types of sexual violence among undergraduates and examines both individual-level and incident-level correlates of disclosure patterns to formal and informal sources. Participants: The current study involves the analysis of campus climate data collected in 2018 from 2,271 undergraduate participants. Methods: Descriptive and bivariate analyses are conducted to examine correlates of sexual violence, and a logistic regression model is estimated to examine disclosure by both individual and incident-level correlates. Results: 19% of students experience at least one incident of sexual violence since coming to campus, with many reporting multiple victimizations which differs by race, gender, and sexual orientation. Significant differences found in disclosure based on gender and relationship to who committed the sexual violence. Conclusions: Overall, findings from this study highlight the importance of using a nuanced approach to examining college students' experiences of sexual violence.

Parents Matter: A Descriptive Study of Parental Discussions With Teens About Violence Prevention and Related Topics.

In the current article we examined the extent to which parents and caregivers engage in violence prevention and related discussions with their youth and the correlates (i.e., demographics, confidence, modeling of emotion regulation) of these experiences. We also examined the ways in which parents access prevention-related information to aid in these discussions with their youth. Participants were 142 parents/caregivers of a middle or high school-aged youth. Results suggested that adults reported speaking with youth about less sensitive prevention topics (e.g., bullying) more often than more sensitive topics (e.g., sexual violence). Whereas there were no demographic correlates for the level of confidence in discussing prevention topics with youth, emotion regulation modeling was positively correlated with confidence discussing prevention with youth. Also, parents who identified as White were less likely to discuss more sensitive topics with youth while parents who identified as American Indian were more likely to discuss more sensitive topics with youth and model emotion regulation. Having more confidence discussing prevention with youth positively correlated to discussing more sensitive and less sensitive topics with youth. These results underscore the need for engaging parents in prevention programming. More specifically, these data suggest that programs that builds parents' confidence and comfort in having prevention-related conversations with their youth, especially about more sensitive topics is needed in addition to programming that enhances parents' ability to model emotion regulation skills for their children.

Campus Sexual Violence Victims with Disabilities: Disclosure and Help Seeking.

Undergraduate students with disabilities represent an important population on college campuses. Yet the incidence of sexual violence and disclosing/reporting of sexual violence among this population is understudied. This exploratory and largely descriptive study uses an intersectional framework to understand the sexual victimization of undergraduate students with disabilities at a large Mid-Atlantic academic institution. The sample consisted of students who completed a sexual violence module (N = 2,929) as part of a larger campus climate survey. Students with disabilities comprised a smaller sample within this group (n = 177) and descriptive and chi-square results from both groups of students are reported. Students with disabilities had a statistically significant higher likelihood of sexual violence victimization before coming to campus and while at the university, with much higher rates for precollege victimization than students with no disabilities. Disclosure rates were not different for students across the two groups, though students with disabilities were more likely to utilize formal sources of support, such as campus Title IX offices and mental health services. This study shows support for a strengths-based approach that recognizes that students with disabilities may be more likely to reach out to campus resources. The findings of the study also underscore the need for culturally relevant victim services for students with disabilities. An evaluation of the culture of a university and its environment of openness, sharing, community, and protection (or lack thereof) can be a key point for future approaches to sexual violence on campus.

Sexual Harassment in the Academy: Harnessing the Growing Labor Movement in Higher Education to Address Sexual Harassment Against Graduate Workers.

Higher education is not immune to the epidemic of sexual harassment in the United States, particularly sexual harassment of graduate workers. This is due largely to power differentials of status and income, as academia relies on low-wage work. While the literature shows sexual harassment is prevalent across disciplines, current work to address the problem does not account for graduate worker precarity. The graduate labor movement, which addresses precarity, is beginning to tackle sexual harassment. We review how the labor and anti-gender-based violence movements in higher education should come together to prevent sexual harassment, presenting recommendations for structural changes to academia.

Recommendations for Responding to Survivors of Sexual Assault: A Qualitative Study of Survivors and Support Providers.

Empirical research has repeatedly examined the social reactions survivors receive from informal and formal support providers. This research has also provided an understanding of social reactions survivors perceive as helpful and hurtful. Advocacy agencies provide supplemental information instructing support providers how to respond to survivors in a positive way. However, these sources-to our knowledge-have not specifically asked survivors how they want to be responded to when disclosing assault and what they need in the aftermath of assault. Furthermore, studies have not asked support providers about how to respond to survivors in a positive way. Thus, the information provided to survivors and support providers on positive support may not be "survivor informed." This study examined recommendations for responding to survivors from two methods. First, as a broader approach, open-ended survey responses from N = 1,863 survivors were examined for unprompted recommendations on what survivors need following assault. Second, in a sample of 45 informal support dyads, survivors and support providers were specifically asked to provide recommendations on responding to survivors in a positive way. Results include recommendations from survivors to informal supporters, formal service providers, and other survivors on what is needed in the aftermath of sexual assault. Results also include recommendations on responding to survivors in a positive way from interviewed support providers to other supporters.

A Dyadic Study of Impacts of Sexual Assault Disclosure on Survivors' Informal Support Relationships.

After a sexual assault, victims often disclose their assault to an informal support provider (SP) to receive social support. Ample research exists on social reactions of informal SPs to disclosure and how those reactions affect the victim both positively and negatively, but little research exists on how the disclosure impacts a survivor's support relationships both in the short and in the long term. This qualitative interview study examined 45 ethnically diverse informal support dyads where women disclosed sexual assault to an informal SP (e.g., friend, family, significant other). Assault disclosure was examined to determine its impact on relationship quality of survivors and their SPs. Results revealed positive and negative effects on survivor-SP relationships of assault disclosure and social reactions. In almost all matched pairs (91%), the survivor, SP, or both remarked on how the relationship had changed following disclosure. Family member SPs spoke of survivors' risk-taking and poor relationship choices. Significant others spoke of the toll of supporting survivors who sometimes left their needs unmet and strained their relationships with survivors. Friend SPs often appraised how the survivor engaged in other types of relationships, but overall felt that their relationships had become stronger or closer as a result of the disclosure. Implications of this study include acknowledging that informal supporters, particularly significant others, can experience adverse effects after disclosure, and that help is needed not only for survivors but also for their informal support sources. Future research should continue to investigate both the short-term and longitudinal impacts of sexual assault disclosure on survivors' informal support relationships.

Sexual Assault Survivors Who Exchange Sex: Identity, Stigma, and Informal Responses from Support Providers.

It is well established in the literature that individuals who engage in sex work are more likely to experience sexual trauma/violence, but little research has examined experiences of sexual assault survivors who exchange sex from the survivor's perspective. Sexual assault survivors and their informal support providers (SP; e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) were interviewed separately about disclosure, social reactions, and help-seeking following assault. Sixteen survivors mentioned experiences exchanging sex, which comprises the sample for the current study, as well as comments from twelve SPs. Qualitative analysis revealed several themes including violence experienced engaging in sex work, navigating stigma and the identity of both sexual assault survivor and sex worker, and how survivors' social supports impact their recovery. Survivors endorsed their sex worker identities at varying levels, and others used their identity as a sexual assault survivor to explain why they engaged in sex work. Social work implications regarding service provision and advocacy work are discussed.

Alcohol's Role in Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Disclosures: A Qualitative Study of Informal Support Dyads.

Studies of informal support dyads are lacking to understand the disclosure of sexual assaults and social reactions informal supporters make to survivors. This study of 19 informal support dyads using interview data examined how three relationship types-significant others (i.e., romantic partners), family, and friends-differ in social reactions to sexual assaults in the context of drinking or alcohol problems. It was expected that alcohol's role in responses to such disclosures would differ depending on relationship type as well as role alcohol played in the assault and/or in the survivor's life or those in her social network, including the perpetrator. Results show that alcohol has mixed effects and that alcohol-related assaults as well as contexts where survivors, perpetrators, and/or their support networks have alcohol problems need further study to understand how such disclosures and social reactions occur and the impact they have on survivors, their relationships, and recovery.

Sexual Assault Survivors' Post-Traumatic Growth: Individual and Community-Level Differences.

Past research has focused on individual differences in post-traumatic growth (PTG) among survivors, but no studies to date have examined differences at the neighborhood level. This exploratory study uses data from a 3-year longitudinal study of women sexual assault survivors (N = 1,863) living in a segregated city. We tested random intercept models of individuals nested within neighborhoods. Disrupted core beliefs, greater perceived control over recovery, less post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), religious coping, and positive social coping predicted more PTG. White survivors had lower PTG scores than the women of color in this study. Neighborhood-level differences in PTG scores persisted even though violent crime rate and neighborhood poverty did not emerge as significant in our model.

A Qualitative Study Of Sexual Assault Survivors' Post-Assault Legal System Experiences.

Following sexual assault, survivors may turn to the civil or criminal justice systems in pursuit of some form of legal justice. Informal support providers (SPs) often play a large role in survivors' post-assault experiences and recovery, including providing support during survivors' decision to pursue legal justice and in navigating the system. Yet, this has not been thoroughly examined in research, particularly through a dyadic lens. Using qualitative dyadic data from 45 survivor-SP matched pairs (i.e., friend, family, or significant other), the current study addresses this gap by looking broadly at survivors' post-assault experiences with the criminal and civil legal systems. Of the 45 pairs in the sample, the current study presents findings from a subsample of 28 survivors and 13 SPs regarding post-assault legal system experiences. Our findings suggest that survivors and SPs consider the perceived strength of their case, perceptions of police, and the possibility of institutional bias when deciding to report the assault to the police. Interviews revealed that reasons for legal system involvement extend beyond pursuance of perpetrator prosecution, such as filing for custody of their children after leaving a domestic violence situation or seeking financial compensation. Many survivors who had interactions with the police and legal system experienced secondary victimization, while a few survivors had positive experiences, despite their expectations. We recommend improved access to survivor advocates and suggest directions for future research stemming from findings.

Predicting the Effects of Sexual Assault Research Participation: Reactions, Perceived Insight, and Help-Seeking.

This study examined effects of participating in survey research for women sexual assault survivors with other trauma histories to understand the role of study participation on perceived insight and long-term help-seeking behaviors. A diverse sample of 1,863 women from a large Midwestern city participated in a 3-year study on women's experiences with sexual assault. Regression analyses were conducted to (a) examine predictors of immediate positive and negative reactions to survey participation and (b) assess the impact of the survey on perceived insight and women's long-term help-seeking behavior. Overall, most women in the study had a higher positive than negative reaction to the survey (92%), with a significant proportion indicating they sought additional services as a result of participation (55%). Women with child sexual abuse (CSA), more emotion dysregulation, and more characterological self-blame had more negative reactions to the survey, whereas those with more education and individual adaptive coping had more positive reactions. Women who said they gained insight from answering survey questions were most likely to seek additional help. This study extends the literature by examining cumulative trauma and postassault symptoms in relation to the effects of survey participation. This is also the first study of women sexual assault survivors to find a relationship between gaining perceived insight from research and subsequent help-seeking. Participating in sexual assault research may help survivors gain greater insight into their recovery, which can lead them to seek out more resources for their ongoing trauma-related problems.

Navigating Sex and Sexuality After Sexual Assault: A Qualitative Study of Survivors and Informal Support Providers.

Qualitative interview data from 45 matched pairs of survivors disclosing sexual assaults and their primary informal support providers (e.g., friend, family member, significant other) were used to explore survivor and support provider perspectives on changes in sexuality postassault and how those close to them have been affected as a result. Changes in sexuality included loss of interest in sex, increase or change in sexual partners, engaging in sex work, and increased sexual behavior. Support providers generally regarded promiscuity as a risky sexual behavior. If the support provider was the survivor's sexual partner, he or she discussed exercising caution when navigating sexual intimacy with the survivor. Not all sexual encounters with romantic partners were positive; some survivors discussed being triggered (i.e., with post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] flashbacks) or experiencing the dissolution of their relationships due to the sexual impacts of their assault. Counseling implications are discussed in the context of improving survivors' sexual experiences in general and in romantic relationships postassault. Implications can also be applied to prevention, scholarship on sex work, and sexuality research.

Postassault Substance Use and Coping: A Qualitative Study of Sexual Assault Survivors and Informal Support Providers.

This qualitative interview study examined 45 informal support dyads where a sexual assault was disclosed. Data from matched pairs of survivors and their primary informal support provider (e.g., friend, family, significant other), were used to explore the survivor-support provider (SP) perspectives of coping with assault-related distress via substance use and the effects of survivor substance use on the survivor-SP relationship. Results revealed that survivors' use of drinking and/or drugs to cope had both positive and negative effects on survivor-SP relationships. Findings also showed that SPs play various roles in providing support to survivors who cope via substance use, including engaging in substance use with the survivor and efforts to help get help in their recovery from the assault and substance abuse. Suggestions are made for how safe spaces can be provided where survivors and supporters can get information and treatment, whether formal or informal, that addresses sexual assault, PTSD and substance abuse issues in an integrated way.

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

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.

PTSD and Problem Drinking in Relation to Seeking Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Among Sexual Assault Survivors.

This study seeks to understand the effects of the co-occurrence of PTSD and problem drinking on formal help-seeking among sexual assault survivors over time. Data comes from a diverse sample of 1,863 women in a large Midwestern city who participated in a three-year study on women's experiences with sexual assault. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to estimate the parameters of generalized linear models to assess the effects of PTSD and problem drinking on survivor mental health help-seeking and substance use treatment-seeking over time. In our models, having more PTSD, more education, and receiving a reaction of tangible support increased the odds of survivors seeking mental health treatment, which replicates past findings. This is the first study of women sexual assault survivors to find a unique effect of both PTSD and problem drinking on substance use treatment- seeking. The findings suggest survivors with co-occurring PTSD and problem drinking are less likely to seek substance use treatment over time. Future directions are discussed for research on survivors with co-occurring symptoms.

Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Disclosure: A Qualitative Study of Informal Support Dyads.

This interview study examined 45 informal support dyads where sexual assault was disclosed. Analysis showed social reactions and appraisals of reactions varied by relationship type (family, friend, significant other). Themes identified were role reversal or "parentification" of supporters, reactions of anger and aggression toward perpetrators, supporters using their own trauma experiences to respond to survivors, and reactions of betrayal. Results revealed the potential for identifying relational patterns and dynamics occurring in social reactions through dyadic analysis not otherwise captured by a survivor-only perspective. This approach helps understand and address distinct relationship contexts to improve supporters' reactions to sexual assault disclosure.