Disclosure of Sexual and Physical Violence: The Role of Violence Characteristics, Social Support, and Trauma-Related Shame in a Norwegian Population-Based Sample

While disclosure of sexual and physical violence is crucial for providing support to violence-exposed individuals, many delay or abstain from disclosing to others. Research has examined various factors associated with disclosure, but often with a focus on either childhood or adulthood violence by specific perpetrators. This study utilized data from a telephone survey conducted with a Norwegian population-based sample of individuals aged 18 to 74 years (N = 4,299) exposed to lifetime forcible rape (n = 337) and severe physical violence in adulthood (n = 1,626). We aimed to examine associations between a wide range of violence characteristics (age at onset, fear of severe injury or death, and relationship to the perpetrator) and interpersonal factors (trauma-related shame and perceived social support), and disclosure of (a) forcible rape and (b) severe physical violence was analyzed separately. Descriptive analyses showed that 81% of individuals exposed to forcible rape and 91% of those exposed to severe physical violence had disclosed to someone. Adjusted logistic regression analyses indicated that higher levels of perceived social support, and particularly fear of severe injury or death, were significantly associated with higher odds of disclosure of both sexual (Odds ratio [OR] = 7.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] [3.49, 19.40], p < .001) and severe physical violence (OR = 2.32, 95% CI [1.50, 3.69], p < .001). A close relationship to the perpetrator and older age at onset were significantly associated with increased odds of disclosing severe physical violence, but not for forcible rape. Although differences were observed between specific violence characteristics and interpersonal factors and the disclosure of sexual and physical violence, the overarching similarities indicate the presence of shared pathways to disclosure that may enhance the well-being and recovery of individuals impacted by interpersonal violence. Broadening public perceptions of violence beyond physical, and often more "stereotypical," violence may help foster environments where individuals feel safe to disclose.