What Survivors of Sexual Violence Want When Disclosing Their Experiences in Person or Online: Qualitative Interview...

Survivors of sexual victimization face a critical juncture when disclosing their experiences. How others react to their disclosure can significantly influence survivors' psychological well-being.

We aimed to address how survivors of sexual victimization would like to be supported when disclosing their experiences either in person or online.

We conducted qualitative interviews with 51 participants who had experienced sexual victimization and disclosed their experiences either in person or online. Thematic analysis was applied to identify survivors' perceptions of ideal and unhelpful responses to their disclosures in both in-person interactions and online environments.

When disclosing in person, survivors reported seeking acknowledgment, reassurance of support, and relief from self-blame. Survivors also preferred not to receive highly emotional reactions, unsolicited advice, or expressions of pity. Mutual disclosure was seen as validating and helpful by some, whereas others found it to be problematic, as it may diminish the courage it took for them to share their experiences. When disclosing online, survivors generally reported finding mutual disclosure helpful, as it fostered a sense of solidarity. Ideal responses to online disclosures included private messages of support and emotional support. However, judgment and probing for details were considered unsupportive reactions to online disclosure.

Given that face-to-face interactions vary widely from the way in which we interact with others online, it follows that the way in which survivors seek to gain support from others varies across these 2 contexts. The findings of this study underscore the need for interventions aimed at educating individuals on how to provide support to survivors of sexual victimization, both in person and online.