Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Jessica Millimen

Abstract

It is widely known that sexual assault is a pervasive global health issue. Victims of sexual assault face a greater risk of later being sexually revictimized. Despite its prevalence, sexual assault is the most underreported of violent crimes. Existing research has explored rates of formal and informal sexual assault disclosure, barriers, and motivators to report as well as survivor experiences withing the criminal justice process. However, the deciding factors for sexual assault victims in reporting revictimization or how any prior experience making a report may impact their decision to report subsequent assaults have not been studied previously. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the decision-making process for reporting sexual revictimization through the lived experience of survivors with prior reporting history. Availability heuristic theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected via nine semistructured interviews and analyzed through open coding and the development of themes. The results showed that the decision process for reporting sexual revictimization with a history of a prior formal report is similar to that of making an initial report; however, the impact of initial reporting experiences was shown to be factored into the subsequent reporting decision processes. Background factors, risk/benefit analysis, motivational factors, reporting outcomes, and hindsight were the five main themes within the decision-making process for reporting sexual revictimization among participants in this study. Findings of this study provided insight for criminal justice professionals and various victim services to better serve sexual assault survivors and encourage future reports that will lead to positive social change through impacting the justice process and healing for survivors.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

 
COinS