Citation

Dworkin ER, Allen N. Violence Against Women 2018; 24(1): 85-100.

Affiliation

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801216675743

PMID

27837183

Abstract

Contacts with responders after sexual assault may influence further disclosure, but this possibility has not been explored empirically. Thus, this study investigates associations between survivors' contacts with responders and their decisions to discontinue disclosure. Fifty-four college students with a history of unwanted sexual experiences described 94 ordered contacts with responders.

RESULTS indicate that survivors' perceptions of responsiveness were not associated with continued disclosure, but survivors were more likely to continue disclosing when they perceived more rape myth acceptance from responders and when the assault was more recent. These findings highlight survivors' tenacity in meeting their needs, even after problematic responses.

© The Author(s) 2016.

Language: en