Sexual assault is common in sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, but few studies have examined SGM victims’ disclosure experiences. This systematic review identified 13 studies through searches of research databases on SGM populations with sexual victimization. These studies showed wide variation in disclosure rates, various barriers to disclosure, and psychological impacts of social reactions to disclosure on SGM individuals. Bisexual women were more likely to disclose to formal (e.g., police, healthcare providers) and informal (e.g., friends, family members) sources than other women, and SGM victims disclose to mental health professionals at particularly high rates. Sexual and gender minority victims also reported numerous barriers to disclosure, including those unique to SGM individuals (e.g., fear of being outed). Impacts of negative social reactions appear to be more negative on psychological symptoms of SGM victims, whereas positive reactions are helpful to recovery. Future research is needed taking an intersectional perspective to studying disclosure and social reactions to SGM individuals from both college and community samples, by examining both sexual minority and racial/ethnic identities in the context of intersectional minority stress theory. Studies are needed of both correlates and consequences of disclosures to both informal and formal support sources to better understand SGM individuals’ reasons for telling and not telling various support sources and the impacts of their disclosure experiences on their recovery. Such data is also needed to inform interventions seeking to identify and intervene with support network members and professionals to reduce negative social reactions and their psychosocial impacts and to increase positive social reactions and general social support from informal support sources.
Research suggests that Indigenous girls, women, and LGBTQ+ Two-Spirit people experience disproportionately high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), but there is a dearth of research on IPV among Indigenous college students. Therefore, the current study sought to explore rates of IPV victimization and perpetration among Indigenous college students, as well as correlates including depressive and anxious symptoms, emotion dysregulation, on-campus social support, and hazardous drinking. Participants were 230 undergraduate students who identified as American Indian/Alaska Native attending 20 medium- and large-sized universities across the contiguous U.S. Results indicated that 28.9% of Indigenous students reported any type of IPV victimization in the past 6 months (psychological: 24.5%; physical: 9.1%; sexual: 9.8%; coercive control: 12.4%). Further, 18.3% of Indigenous students reported any type of IPV perpetration in the past 6 months (psychological: 16.9%; physical: 4.5%; sexual: 2.6%; coercive control: 7.1%). Anxious and depressive symptoms were related to many forms of IPV victimization; emotion dysregulation was related to all forms of IPV victimization and sexual IPV perpetration; and hazardous drinking was related to most forms of IPV victimization and perpetration. These findings underscore the alarmingly high rates of IPV among Indigenous college students as well as the potential deleterious effects of IPV victimization on psychological functioning, as well as the need to concurrently address hazardous alcohol use in IPV prevention and response efforts.
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