‘I think I will need help’: A systematic review of who facilitates the recovery from gender‐based violence and how they do so

Abstract

Context A key to advancing the eradication of gender‐based violence (GBV) is knowing how to recover from it. Objective To identify the changes that are indicators of having overcome GBV and determine the role of various support networks. Search strategy We systematically searched Web of Science. Inclusion criteria Publications whose abstracts contained a minimum of two of the following words: (a) support or network or solidarity, (b) violence and (c) recovery or healing. Data extraction and synthesis Of the 273 documents retrieved, 52 were used using a narrative synthesis approach. Main results For recovery, women must reconnect with themselves, with their environment and with the world in general. Doing so requires support from both formal and informal networks. The intervention of other people is a common element in successful recovery processes. We identify three requirements for the intervention of these support networks to be effective: not blaming the victim, making women part of their own recovery process by showing them their own transformation potential and promoting reflection on the socialization they have experienced in their affective‐sexual relationships. Conclusions There are multiple benefits to having formal or informal support during recovery. In informal networks, raising awareness and providing training are insufficient for promoting active support. Instead, the Second Order of Sexual Harassment must specifically be combatted. Public contribution From the authors' previous research, harassed women and survivors have underlined the necessity to identify indicators of recovery and which kind of support has an impact on it.

Pioneer Legislation on Second Order of Sexual Harassment: Sociolegal Innovation in Addressing Sexual Harassment

“…Addressing it within various contexts, such as academia, leads to its later application to other areas, such as politics, media, and schools. The scientific literature identifies this concept as a key topic that must be taken into account in public policies to give protection to the people who can overcome silence (Madrid et al, 2020;Melgar et al, 2020).…”

“Tell Someone,” to Both Women and Men

“…In the fight against gender-based violence, victims are currently urged to find help within the community – to tell someone – and the community is urged to facilitate this process by demonstrating a proactive attitude ( Melgar et al, 2021 ). The campaigns with the best results are those that rely on the entire community’s participation to act before violence erupts, while simultaneously developing preventive educational actions ( Coker et al, 2011 ).…”

“…Violence against women has been studied in various disciplines, including sociology, psychology, law, and education, among others (De Koker et al, 2014;Stöckl et al, 2014;Ríos et al, 2018;Salceda et al, 2020). From this diversity of disciplines, there have been analyses of similarly diverse aspects of the reality surrounding the issue, i.e., its causes, profiles of victims and aggressors, circumstances surrounding aggressions, and preventive actions, among others (Melgar et al, 2021). However, there is an element that has been little studied and that corresponds to Rosa's concern: how should all of this accumulated scientific knowledge be transmitted to the public so that people build relationships without violence?…”

Fear to Retaliation: The Most Frequent Reason for Not Helping Victims of Gender Violence

“…Although SOSH is a form of violence recognized by both professionals and civil society, there is little research on the subject, and no research offers quantitative data on the incidence of SOSH. The R+D+i research project "SOL.NET: Solidarity Networks with impact on the recovery processes of women victims of genderbased violence" (Melgar, 2019(Melgar, -2021 provides, for the first time, quantitative evidence on the incidence of SOSH in responses given by people who have been aware of a situation of gender-based violence. Knowing which reasons facilitate and which ones make it difficult to give support to victims is essential to extending solidarity networks that break the cycle of this isolation and thus contribute to overcoming gender-based violence.…”

“…Seeking Help for Gender-Based Violence Melgar et al (2021), taking previous research as a reference, defined recovery from gender-based violence as more than just surviving; it is a process that involves creating a life away from violence, which, for female victims, implies reflecting on the meaning they give to their experiences. Therefore, recovery from gender-based violence entails important changes in the meaning given to one's relationships and life, as well as the vision one has of oneself.…”