Shattering Silence: Exploring Barriers to Disclosure for African American Sexual Assault Survivors

Abstract

National-, community-, and college-based studies have documented the high prevalence of sexual assault among African American women. Although African American women experience sexual assault at alarming rates, they are less likely to disclose or seek help in the aftermath of sexual assault. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a critique of the current literature examining the barriers to disclosure for African American women, such as intrapsychic factors, the damaging effect of an unsupportive response to initial disclosure, stigmatization of African American female sexuality, apprehension regarding racism, and racial loyalty. The authors provide a summary of the literature, gaps in current empirical studies, and needs for future study. Culturally relevant intervention recommendations are described. Finally, implications for sexual assault policy are provided.

Administrators’ Perceptions of College Campus Protocols, Response, and Student Prevention Efforts for Sexual Assault

“…Commonly reported barriers to sexual assault disclosure include a lack of recognition that the experience was a crime, a wish to avoid public disclosure, and concern regarding an inability to prove a crime occurred (Sable, Danis, Mauzy, & Gallagher, 2006;Tillman, Bryant-Davis, Smith, & Marks, 2010;Walsh, Banyard, Moynihan, Ward, & Cohn, 2010). Trust was a significant issue that determined if and to whom survivors reported (Sable et al, 2006).…”

Sexual Violence Victimization and Associations with Health in a Community Sample of African American Women

“…In addition, only one quarter of victims whose first unwanted sexual experience was rape or sexual coercion contacted the police after their experience. These findings suggest the disinclination of African American women to seek help from mental health services (Henning & Klesges, 2002; Snowden, 2001) and, in some cases, from law enforcement and the criminal justice system, which might reflect a cultural tendency among this population to distrust helping professionals due to historical mistreatment, and a lack of culturally competent services (Flicker et al, 2011; Raj et al, 1999; Tillman et al, 2010). Compounded by increased exposure to SV, racial and structural inequities, including the experience of discrimination, might increase African American women survivors’ risk for poor outcomes.…”

“…These prevalence estimates are higher than previous national survey estimates (Black et al, 2011; Breiding et al, 2014; Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998), but are consistent with other community-based studies of African American women (Bryant-Davis et al, 2010; Kalichman et al, 1998). In addition, the face-to-face nature of data collection in this study could have also increased disclosure (Tillman, Bryant-Davis, Smith, & Marks, 2010). Results reveal that mental health conditions, alcohol use, and financial concerns are associated with previous SV victimization.…”

“…Some have suggested that African American women’s SV-related health risks, adverse conditions, and challenges with regard to seeking services are intricately linked to race or ethnicity and culture (Bent-Goodley, 2007; Boykins et al, 2010; Flicker et al, 2011; Tillman et al, 2010). This study supports prior research suggesting an association between SV victimization and numerous physical and mental health risks and behaviors.…”

Experience of Forced Sex and Subsequent Sexual, Drug, and Mental Health Outcomes: African American and Hispanic Women in the Southeastern United States

“…For Hispanic women, issues involving acculturation, economic resources, immigrant status, language barriers, and access to community resources (Cuevas, Sabina, & Bell, 2012; Sabina, Cuevas, & Schally, 2012) may contribute to underreporting. African American women may also underreport forced sex because of beliefs in sexual stereotypes and rape myths, self-blame, stigma, a cultural mandate to protect an African American male perpetrator as well as a lack of health insurance (Bryant-Davis, Chung, & Tillman, 2009; Long, Ullman, Starzynski, Long, & Mason, 2007; Tillman, Bryant-Davis, Smith, & Marks, 2010). Our findings are based on convenient samples of African American women primarily from rural counties of North Carolina and Alabama and Hispanic women from South Florida who were sexually active in the previous 12 months.…”