This article reviews the literature on sexual revictimization, integrating findings from studies with adult and youth samples and organizing research evidence within a social ecological framework. Multiple victimization experiences are common among children, adolescents, and adults with histories of child sexual abuse; they are associated with negative cumulative effects on the individual and, through these negative sequelae, perpetuate a cycle of victimization. While much of the research has focused on individual factors that promote revictimization, there is emerging evidence that external influences on the individual may influence risk for subsequent victimization. Specifically, family, perpetrators, and engagement with helping professionals may all mediate revictimization risk. Although limited evidence prevents conclusions regarding societal values, public policy, and law, these systems may also impact individual risk for experiencing multiple victimizations.

In institutions of higher education, mandatory reporting policies require certain employees to report students' sexual assault disclosures to university officials, even if the student does not want to report. It is commonly assumed that these policies will benefit survivors, but there is a paucity of research to substantiate this assumption. The current study examined college sexual assault survivors' perceptions of mandatory reporting policies, including three specific policy approaches (Universal, Selective, Student-Directed). Interviews were conducted with 40 college sexual assault survivors and thematic analysis was used to analyze these data. Results found that the mandatory reporting policy approaches that survivors prefer, which limit the number of mandatory reporters and offer more autonomy and flexibility, do not align with the policy digitalcommons.unl.edu

In recent years, the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) population has gained a stronger voice in the media. Although these voices are being heard, there are limits on the types of TGD representation displayed in media. The current study interviewed 27 TGD individuals. These interviews exposed how participants view the rise of TGD media representation. The main themes that emerged were TGD awareness and TGD identity discovery and role modeling. Clearly, there is a disconnect between transnormativity in the media and transnormativity in reality.

In many universities/colleges, employees are required to report students' sexual assault disclosures to university officials, even if the student does not want to make a report. These "mandatory reporting" policies have been shaped by federal mandates and guidelines, including Title IX. There is a notable lack of research on the implementation and effectiveness of these policies. The current study examined formal service providers' beliefs about university mandatory reporting policies and perceptions of three specific policy approaches (universal mandatory reporting, selective mandatory reporting, and student-directed mandatory reporting). Focus groups were conducted with 12 service providers and these qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants had strong reservations about mandatory reporting policies, particularly universal approaches that designate all employees as reporters. Although they believed mandatory reporting may have been implemented with good intentions, they discussed how such policies may harm both survivors and employees. Lack of transparency and training in the implementation of mandatory reporting policies can create a climate of fear on campus, where neither survivors nor employees feel comfortable discussing sexual assault. Findings suggest the need for more empirically informed approaches to mandatory reporting of sexual assault in higher education and more comprehensive training for employees and students. What happens when a college student tells a university employee that they have experienced sexual assault? In many institutions, that employee would be

Mental health treatment is a critical part of an effective and compassionate response to the disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA). Given the vast negative consequences for children and families following CSA, engagement in treatment can benefit youth and their non-offending caregivers. Yet, these families face unique barriers to treatment initiation, adherence, and effectiveness. The identification of these barriers allows clinicians, researchers, and policy makers to increase treatment utilization, engagement, and value. The current review and its recommendations derive from the existing literature combined with knowledge gained from a clinical research team with more than 20 years of experience offering a treatment program for CSA survivors and their non-offending family members. The review organizes barriers around factors related to individual characteristics of children and caregivers, perceptions and beliefs commonly held following CSA, and challenging family interactions in the context of individual and group treatment for CSA. Finally, barriers related to systemic and societal factors are examined given the importance of digitalcommons.unl.edu

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Objective: Sexual assault is pervasive on college campuses, but survivors rarely use formal supports. A frequent reason that survivors do not use supports is the belief that the assault was not "serious enough." Our convergent parallel mixed method study examined the causes and consequences of minimization as a service barrier. We used qualitative interviews to examine the manifestation and impact of minimization in survivors' lives. We used quantitative surveys to examine whether minimization differed across four formal supports (Campus Police, Title IX Office, Counseling Center, Victim Advocate) and survivor characteristics (assault type, assault acknowledgment, race/ethnicity, sexuality), and the associations between minimization and mental health outcomes. Method: We collected survey data from 93 survivors and 40 semistructured interviews. Results: Our qualitative thematic analysis suggested that minimization does not occur in a vacuum (e.g., minimization of sexual assault by society, peer groups, and resources fosters survivors' own minimization). There were few significant differences in minimization across survivor characteristics or type of formal support, but there was a trend that minimization was somewhat lower among survivors who experienced completed rape (vs. other forms) and labeled the assault (vs. unacknowledged survivors). Minimization occurred even when survivors experienced adverse mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Findings illustrated connections between social and institutional discourse around sexual assault (e.g., what is seen as "severe") and minimization. Survivors' endorsement of minimization as a reason they did not use formal supports does not reflect the consequences of the assault on survivors' wellbeing. Interventions to reduce service barriers should address minimization.