How Our Response to Disclosures of Sexual Violence Impacts Survivors

How we react to disclosures of sexual assault significantly impacts a survivor’s healing process.¹ 58-94% of survivors seek informal support from a loved one.² It’s important we learn how to respond to disclosures of sexual assault, as research shows that the way others respond to disclosure can have a great impact on a survivor’s mental health.

Supportive Reactions

Research has shown that responses that survivors find supportive can have positive implications for their mental health going forward. A supportive response can make survivors feel as though they have more control, which is something many survivors struggle with. Survivors who feel supported by their loved ones have less severe PTSD symptoms and overall better mental health outcomes than those who feel unsupported. They are also more likely to reach out to others for help and support in the future. Additionally, these survivors are also more likely to formally report the assault to authorities.^1,3,4

Negative Reactions

Research has shown that perceptions of unsupportive or negative responses can have a negative impact on a survivor’s mental and physical health. An unsupportive response can leave survivors with self-doubt; it may cause them to question their understanding of what happened. Negative reactions can increase PTSD symptoms such as avoidance, and survivors may avoid sharing the information with others out of fear that they will receive a similar response. Negative responses have been shown to silence survivors. They also can cause survivors to minimize and downplay the severity of what happened and the impact it had on their mental well-being. If survivors begin to convince themselves that the assault wasn’t anything serious, they are less likely to seek mental health support, which can result in additional negative outcomes.^1,3,4

Believe Survivors

Here at PAVE/Survivors.org, it is our fundamental belief to always believe survivors. When someone feels comfortable enough to share something so vulnerable with you, it’s important that you take them seriously. We encourage you to believe survivors when they disclose to you, as your reaction can shape the trajectory of their healing journey.

Sources

1. Scoglio, A. A. J., Lincoln, A., Kraus, S. W., & Molnar, B. E. (2022). Chipped or Whole? Listening to Survivors’ Experiences With Disclosure Following Sexual Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(9-10), NP6903-NP6928. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520967745
2. Lonsway, K., Archambault, J., & Huhtanen, H. (2021). Opening Doors: Alternative Reporting Options for Sexual Assault Victims. In Evawintl.org. End Violence Against Women International . https://evawintl.org/wp-content/uploads/Opening-Doors-Module-November-2022.pdf
3. Dworkin, E. R., Brill, C. D., & Ullman, S. E. (2019). Social reactions to disclosure of interpersonal violence and psychopathology: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical psychology review, 72, 101750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101750
4. Ahrens C. E. (2006). Being silenced: the impact of negative social reactions on the disclosure of rape. American journal of community psychology, 38(3-4), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-006-9069-9