Chipped or Whole? Listening to Survivors’ Experiences With Disclosure Following Sexual Violence

Abstract

Sexual violence is a prevalent crime but vastly underreported and with serious long-term health consequences for survivors. Disclosure of sexual violence represents a social experience that may offer support towards healing or further traumatization depending on the response received. Although current research suggests that process of disclosure itself is important, as are social responses, there is a dearth of research examining the perceived impact of initial responses to disclosure on healing and relationships, particularly over time. The current study used data from nine focus groups with 45 survivors to explore the impact of initial disclosure reactions on recovery, from the survivors’ perspectives. Constant comparative analysis identified several themes, including subtypes of positive and negative responses to disclosure and long-term impacts on healing and relationships. Survivors disclosed to informal and formal support persons and although many identified responses as positive or negative, some also experienced mixed responses. Survivors identified perceived long-term impacts on healing, interpersonal relationships, and social justice. Our findings suggest disclosures are a critical point for potential intervention after sexual violence. It is through the disclosure process that survivors can be supported and empowered to connect with others and move further along in their journey towards healing and recovery. Public awareness and promotion of positive responses could be designed to reach children and youth, so that the next generation is equipped with the tools to support each other in difficult times, particularly in the aftermath of sexual violence.

Disclosure of Sexual Victimization: Effects of Invalidation and Shame on Re-Disclosure

“…While both the explanation and the distinction between explicit and implicit invalidation as elicitors of shame remain to be further explored, this interpretation suggests that a response designed to be validating can be perceived as unsympathetic. Indeed, dismissive reactions are argued to shut down discussion on the topic of sexual victimization, thus discouraging further disclosure (Scoglio et al, 2022).…”

A trauma-informed guide to caring for adolescents following sexual assault

“…Examples of suggested trauma-informed language to use when screening for sexual assault and responding to a disclosure. These sample phrases are adapted from language recommendations made in the following four cited articles: [16,17 ▪ ,18 ▪ ,19].…”

“…When a patient provides a disclosure, first convey appreciation for the patient's courage in sharing this difficult information and then validate the disclosure such as by saying ‘I believe you’ or ‘what happened to you is not acceptable and is not your fault’ [16,17 ▪ ,18 ▪ ,19]. The response to a disclosure should be supportive and nonjudgmental to establish trust and build therapeutic rapport, as well as reduce possible feelings of shame or guilt experienced by the patient [19].…”

“…The HCP's response to a sexual assault disclosure can impact a survivor's trauma trajectory. Depending on the response received, disclosure of a sexual assault can either offer support towards healing or create further traumatization [17 ▪ ]. Negative responses to disclosure (such as those involving blame or stigmatization) may lead survivors to choose not to disclose to others in the future, and have been associated with greater severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and physical symptoms [16,17 ▪ ].…”

“…Depending on the response received, disclosure of a sexual assault can either offer support towards healing or create further traumatization [17 ▪ ]. Negative responses to disclosure (such as those involving blame or stigmatization) may lead survivors to choose not to disclose to others in the future, and have been associated with greater severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and physical symptoms [16,17 ▪ ]. Conversely, providing a compassionate response to a disclosure can illustrate to a survivor that they are deserving of kindness, reduce feelings of shame and isolation, and help connect the patient to resources that will aid in healing [17 ▪ ]…”