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.

Multiple Perpetrator Sexual Assault: Correlates of PTSD and Depressive Symptoms in a Sample of Adult Women.

While most sexual assaults are committed by a sole perpetrator, multiple-perpetrator assaults (MPSAs) still occur. However, less is known about their post-assault impacts. This study examined demographic, assault, and post-assault characteristics as correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms in a community sample of adult sexual assault survivors who experienced MPSA (N=350) in the Chicago area. This study also included demographic and assault characteristics of perpetrators as reported by survivors. Backward regression analysis showed that stressful life events, more violent assaults, post-assault maladaptive coping and characterological self-blame, and receiving acknowledgement without support (e.g., acknowledging the assault happened, but giving inadequate support) reactions were related to greater PTSD symptoms. Older age and greater perceived control over recovery were associated with fewer PTSD symptoms. Greater violence, maladaptive coping, and characterological self-blame were related to greater depressive symptoms, whereas more education and greater perceived control over recovery correlated with fewer depressive symptoms. This study adds to research on MPSA .and findings have implications for clinical treatment, intervention, and prevention with survivors.

Interactions with Offenders Post-Assault and Their Impacts on Recovery: A Qualitative Study of Sexual Assault Survivors and Support Providers.

It is well established in the literature that the majority of sexual assault offenders are known to their victims. Given this reality, survivors of sexual assault and their support providers (SP; e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) may interact with the offenders post-assault within various contexts including social, community, and familial settings, though little research exists that explores this possibility. This study begins to address this gap through interviews with survivors and their SPs about disclosure, recovery, and help-seeking following interactions with their offender post-assault. Twenty-eight survivors mentioned interactions or appraisals of the offender, as did 12 SPs. Qualitative analysis revealed several themes including: a) various outcomes of interactions with the offender post-assault, b) emotions felt toward offender, c) gaining of perspective and/or forgiveness, d) interactions with the offender as a catalyst for disclosure, and e) importance of the offender's actual or perceived death. Results show some anecdotal support for restorative justice practices with sexual assault victims in the criminal-legal system. Clinical implications include treatment plans for survivors to prepare for the possibility of seeing their offenders post-assault.

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.

Reasons for and Experiences of Sexual Assault Nondisclosure in a Diverse Community Sample.

PURPOSE: After a sexual assault (SA), victims often disclose their SA to an informal support provider (SP) to receive social support; however, many survivors do not disclose or wait months or years to tell anyone. While research exists on disclosure, social reactions of informal SPs to disclosure, and how those reactions affect the victim both positively and negatively, little research exists on reasons for and impact of adult SA survivors' nondisclosure to informal social network members. METHOD: This qualitative interview study examined 42 ethnically diverse women who had disclosed SA to an informal SP (e.g., friend, family, significant other). For this study, nondisclosure of SA mentioned by survivors was examined. RESULTS: Various reasons for not telling people in their lives and/or delaying doing so were uncovered including fear of negative social reactions, lack of perceived available support and fear of burdening others, family and social norms expectations, and anticipated problematic gendered responses by both men (e.g., violence) and women (e.g., overwhelmed) SPs. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for future SA disclosure research and supporting survivors in their choice to selectively/not disclose are discussed.

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.