View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Help-Seeking among College Survivors of Dating and Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Exploration of Utilization of University-Based Victim Services

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Help-Seeking among College Survivors of Dating and Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Exploration of Utilization of University-Based Victim Services
Language: English
Authors: Julia Cusano, Leila Wood (ORCID 0000-0001-5095-2577), Roxanna S. Ast (ORCID 0000-0001-8922-0277), Sarah McMahon, Jordan J. Steiner, Cassie Spector
Source: Journal of American College Health. 2024 72(1):101-108.
Availability: Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Help Seeking, College Students, Sexual Abuse, Dating (Social), Violence, Victims of Crime, Barriers, Self Disclosure (Individuals), Services, Motivation, Peer Relationship, Knowledge Level
DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.2024208
ISSN: 0744-8481
1940-3208
Abstract: Objective: Study uses qualitative data to examine help-seeking decisions as well as the drivers and barriers to utilization of university-based victim services through the accounts of survivors. Participants: The current study involves the analysis of 33 semi-structured interviews that were conducted with dating and sexual violence (DSV) survivors at a large, Mid-Atlantic University who both did and did not utilize university-based victim services. Methods: Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Analysis shows that while survivors of DSV undergo a process of help-seeking that is similar to those described in previous help-seeking models, there are additional factors that contribute to a reluctancy to seek services at a university-based victim services center in particular that must be accounted for in the literature. Conclusions: The findings from the current study underscore the importance of understanding the specific drivers and barriers to utilization of university-based victim services.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1408466
Database: ERIC
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
    Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwH4eROpd9p5mUq_pdTVz9QuAAAA4zCB4AYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHSMIHPAgEAMIHJBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDBV09GJKialTrihNDwIBEICBmx3HtL62yuH9w7aZ6hWhU4moQ5TY2GvQkhqRTi1MKNeDuEn7iN_hOlQ2ua1YWsckS4Aq3tqMldWbKhwPEh4Ri8EoyE6XyLPai_9inub6v-yFnu2NJnGBpOf0yiiLTvjz4CG5h3kccm6Qv-d2hfiVZ9FSojVmex5FSYz7Xn4RC1QaVb3-eBIIol6s0FPsB_7yRK-X26CFnEejIx9W
Text:
  Availability: 1
  Value: <anid>AN0174908846;acl01jan.24;2024Jan23.02:22;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0174908846-1">Help-seeking among college survivors of dating and sexual violence: a qualitative exploration of utilization of university-based victim services </title> <p>Objective: Study uses qualitative data to examine help-seeking decisions as well as the drivers and barriers to utilization of university-based victim services through the accounts of survivors. Participants: The current study involves the analysis of 33 semi-structured interviews that were conducted with dating and sexual violence (DSV) survivors at a large, Mid-Atlantic University who both did and did not utilize university-based victim services. Methods: Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Analysis shows that while survivors of DSV undergo a process of help-seeking that is similar to those described in previous help-seeking models, there are additional factors that contribute to a reluctancy to seek services at a university-based victim services center in particular that must be accounted for in the literature. Conclusions: The findings from the current study underscore the importance of understanding the specific drivers and barriers to utilization of university-based victim services.</p> <p>Keywords: College; sexual violence; dating violence; help-seeking</p> <p>Dating and sexual violence (DSV) remain a pervasive issue impacting students at institutions of higher education across the United States. Many reliable estimates suggest that around 20% of women experience sexual violence while in college,[[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref2">3</reflink>]] and 14% to 31% of women experience some form of dating violence while in college.[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref3">4</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref4">5</reflink>] Survivors[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref5">1</reflink>] of DSV are at a heightened risk of developing physical and mental health problems, which include post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, anxiety, feelings of guilt, depression, as well as suffering academic difficulties.[[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref6">5</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref7">7</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref8">9</reflink>]]</p> <p>To help mitigate the negative impacts of DSV, best practices recommend campuses offer students a confidential, safe space for disclosure of DSV, with an emphasis on the inclusion of trauma-informed mental health counseling services.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref9">11</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref10">12</reflink>] Trauma-informed mental health services are rooted in the understanding of the effects of trauma on a survivor's life and actively work to build resilience, lessen impact, and support the survivor's growth and autonomy through collaboration and survivor-led decision making.[<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref11">13</reflink>] Research highlights the potential importance of having such trauma-informed services available to survivors in addition to advocacy and crisis intervention services, which includes case management, psychoeducation, resources, and referrals.[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref12">12</reflink>] University-based comprehensive victim services centers that offer this variety of counseling and advocacy services to survivors of DSV have been labeled as the "gold standard" in service provision.[<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref13">13</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref14">14</reflink>]</p> <p>Research conducted at 28 institutions of higher education on student health found that overall, women survivors attending colleges with more resources related to DSV had better emotional health than women students on low resource campuses.[<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref15">15</reflink>] Yet, despite the existence of these services on some campuses, utilization of such services remains low, with disclosure rates ranging from 0 to 15.8%, and estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey indicating that only 20% of survivors sought assistance from at least one victim services program.[[<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref16">16</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref17">18</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref18">20</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref19">22</reflink>]] Research finds that often DSV survivors who do tell someone disclose to an informal source of support such as a friend.[<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref20">23</reflink>] To date, however, little research has focused on examining the utilization of university-based victim services. This is a crucial gap in the literature as best practices recommend campuses provide comprehensive victim services to survivors without fully understanding what factors both motivate and hinder survivors' decisions to utilize these services in a meaningful way. This study helps to fill this gap by examining what factors influence DSV survivors' decisions to utilize university-based victim services.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-2">Models of help-seeking</hd> <p>In order to fully explore DSV survivors' help-seeking decisions and utilization of university-based victim services, it is critical to understand some of the prominent models and research regarding help-seeking. The theoretical framework by Liang et al[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref21">24</reflink>] includes three stages of help-seeking: defining the experience as a problem, deciding to seek help, and determining a source of support. However, while this framework includes stages, Liang et al[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref22">24</reflink>] acknowledge that the process of help-seeking is seldom linear, and is often multifaceted as well as dependent on a range of individual, interpersonal, and sociocultural factors. For example, survivors' prior experiences in seeking help from a variety of formal and informal sources of support, an individual-level factor, can impact subsequent help-seeking decisions. Additionally, the model highlights the role that various interpersonal and sociocultural factors have on survivors' help-seeking. Factors such as race/ethnicity, gender, class, immigration status, and cultural isolation can contribute to poor access to services for some survivors contributing to a reluctancy to seek help.[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref23">24</reflink>]</p> <p>A more recent qualitative study by DeLoveh and Cattaneo[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref24">25</reflink>] exploring students' help-seeking decisions after an experience of DSV builds upon the work of Liang et al[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref25">24</reflink>] by developing a theoretical model of support and disclosure that is unique to college survivors. This study found that survivors similarly engage in three key decisional points regarding help-seeking which include the following: determining whether there is a problem, considering their options, and weighing the consequences of these options. Factors that may influence the three various decisional points, similar to Liang et al's[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref26">24</reflink>] model, include individual-level factors, such as past experiences with violence, as well as past experiences with help-seeking, and one's general attitudes toward help-seeking. Finally, the multi-stage cognitive and emotional process, represented by the decision points, results in a behavioral choice which includes deciding to cope on one's own without support from others, seeking help from friends and family, seeking support from formal resources, or finding covert ways to meet one's needs.[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref27">25</reflink>] The two models presented by Liang et al[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref28">24</reflink>] and DeLoveh and Cattaneo[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref29">25</reflink>] highlight the process of help-seeking for survivors of DSV as well as the factors that may influence this process.</p> <p>Lastly, Patterson et al[<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref30">26</reflink>] conducted interviews with 29 DSV women survivors which contribute to a deeper understanding of the various reasons why survivors may not seek help from formal systems.[<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref31">26</reflink>] The reasons described by participants in the qualitative study focused on survivors feeling unworthy of help, believing they did not qualify for assistance, believing systems would not enhance their well-being or protect them from further harm, and believing that those within formal systems could actually be harmful to their well-being.</p> <p>This literature provides a useful framework for helping researchers understand survivors' help-seeking decisions, as well as the barriers and facilitators to utilization of formal support services. However, there may be factors that are unique to the utilization of university-based victim services which calls for research that explores these specific factors. For example, research shows that institutional betrayal, or an institution's inability to respond appropriately to or prevent DSV on campus, may not only contribute to a range of deleterious effects on survivors' mental and physical health, but also may have a broad impact on survivors' decisions to seek help.[<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref32">27</reflink>] Researchers have therefore encouraged the examination of institutional betrayal and additional systemic factors in college DSV research.[<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref33">27</reflink>] Gaining an in-depth understanding of the barriers as well as facilitators that exist to the specific utilization of university-based victim services can guide awareness programming and service provision on campus. Previous explorations of help-seeking have defined "help-seeking" as the utilization of any formal support services and have failed to differentiate between the types of formal support services that survivors have available to them on campuses.[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref34">24</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref35">25</reflink>] This exploratory study helps to fill a gap in the current literature by examining help-seeking decisions as well as the drivers and barriers to the specific utilization of university-based victim services through the accounts of DSV survivors who did and did not use university-based victim services.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-3">Current study</hd> <p>This exploratory study aimed to examine students' help-seeking decisions following a DSV victimization experience(s). Individual interview methodology allowed the elevation of survivor voices, which is often absent from the research literature.[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref36">28</reflink>] For the current analysis, the guiding research question was: Relying on the lived experiences of survivors, what factors motivate students to specifically utilize university-based victim services following a DSV victimization experience(s)?</p> <p>Data for this study were collected as part of a larger project conducted to understand the experiences of student survivors at a large, mid-Atlantic university, conducted over two waves during spring 2018 and spring 2019 with a total of 33 participants (11 in Year 1, 22 in Year 2). The data for the current study focused specifically on the sections related to help-seeking.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-4">Participants and procedure</hd> <p>Participants included students who utilized the university-based victim services center (collected in Year 1) and students who did not utilize the university-based victim services center (collected in Year 2) after experiencing DSV while in college. Throughout this article, participants interviewed in Year 1 will be referred to as "victim services users" and participants in Year 2 will be referred to as "victim services non-users." At < masked for peer review > university, each campus has a comprehensive victim services center that provides the following services for survivors: crisis intervention, advocacy services and accommodations processes, and trauma-informed mental health counseling. Participants from both phases of the study were recruited through a variety of outreach methods including the posting of flyers around campus, working with victim services offices to share information about the study, and posting information on student listservs. Before participating in the study, members of the research team confirmed participants' eligibility criteria by phone or email, including that they were 18 years old or over, currently enrolled at the university, and responded affirmatively to the question as to whether they had experienced "any form of violence or abuse in an intimate or dating relationship" since coming to campus. 11 interview participants indicated that they had experienced at least one form of sexual violence since coming to college, 19 experienced some form of dating violence (including stalking by an intimate partner) since coming to college, and three participants indicated that they experienced a type of "abuse" by a partner but did not provide additional details as to the type of abuse they experienced. The final sample consisted of 33 participants. A large majority of participants identified as cis-women (91%) and 55% identified as White, 12% as Black, 24% as Asian, and 21% as Latinx.</p> <p>Semi-structured interviews were conducted by members of the research team who had received training in qualitative interviewing.[<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref37">29</reflink>] Participants selected dates, times, and locations that were convenient and comfortable for them to complete the interviews. Locations primarily included the campus library or private conference rooms reserved by a member of the research team. The interviews lasted 30–60 minutes on average, were conducted in English, and were audio recorded with permission of the participants. All study participants consented to be audio recorded during the interview except one. The interviewer took extensive notes during this interview. Study participants received a $30 gift card and all methods were approved by the university's Institutional Review Board (IRB) (IRB). A semi-structured guide was developed for the project after reviewing the literature and gathering input from various on-campus practitioners and professionals that work with student survivors. The guide was used during all interviews. The interview guide elicited participants' overall disclosure experiences, decisions around disclosure, as well as perceptions and awareness of the university-based victim services center. Sample interview questions included: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref38">1</reflink>) Did you tell anyone about your experience? (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref39">2</reflink>) Whom did you tell first? And why did you decide to tell them first? and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref40">3</reflink>) Did you tell a service provider (such as rape crisis center, counselor, doctor) off-campus?</p> <p>Given the sensitive nature of the interviews, a number of methods were employed to ensure the well-being of participants. Interviewers had all worked previously with survivors and conducted similar interviews and focus groups in the past, and were trained in trauma-informed research methods including those outlined by Campbell et al.[<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref41">30</reflink>] Interviewers utilized an approach that gave participants a sense of control by communicating that participants could skip any questions or stop the interview at any time. Interviewers were also prepared for emotional responses and to provide support and information to participants,[<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref42">30</reflink>] as they had a list of resources and phone numbers for the university-based victim services center and were ready and willing to call if the participant felt distressed at any point. Upon completing the interview and recording, interviewers concluded by informally debriefing with each of the participants and offering resources, which were also listed in the informed consent copy that participants kept.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-5">Data analysis</hd> <p>Interviews were transcribed verbatim. NVivo qualitative analysis software was used to analyze the data using a thematic analysis approach as outlined by Braun and Clark.[<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref43">31</reflink>] This type of analysis is well suited for exploratory studies as it offers a flexible research approach that provides a rich and detailed account of data. In thematic analysis, data are analyzed to identify and analyze patterns that can highlight thematic findings through multiple coding procedures.[<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref44">30</reflink>] Three members of the research team independently coded the transcripts using line-by-line coding. Then the three research team members began a process of creating themes based on the data, in which concepts are viewed in relation to one another to create themes and sub-themes. The research team then met to review the themes and their fit with initial codes. Before developing the final list of themes, the team members met to discuss the findings and resolve discrepancies. In the final phase, the team named and defined themes and sub-themes. This final phase also involved a check that thematic saturation had been achieved. Saturation is used to determine when there is adequate data from a study to develop a robust and valid understanding of a phenomenon and is reached when additional analysis fails to offer new insight into the concept of study.[<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref45">32</reflink>]</p> <p>Research team members also employed a number of strategies to enhance data trustworthiness. Strategies included the use of memos to record ideas, reflections, and biases throughout the coding process. Additionally, research team members also participated in peer debriefing meetings to review and refine codes, and the research team's different areas of expertise (i.e., disclosure, qualitative research, and DSV) allowed for investigator triangulation.[<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref46">33</reflink>] Research team members also searched for evidence that disconfirmed the emerging themes, and kept track of all research processes and decisions.[<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref47">34</reflink>]</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-6">Findings</hd> <p>Data analysis revealed two emergent themes and sub-themes within: <emph>Informal disclosure experiences</emph> and <emph>Barriers and concerns with specialized victim services</emph>. Almost all participants from both phases of the interviews reported that they first disclosed to an informal source of support, most often a friend, in the hopes that disclosing would provide emotional support, validation, and guidance on what to do next. Differences emerged, however, between the two groups of participants (victim services users and non-users) in what followed their initial disclosures as subsequent disclosure decisions were largely based upon the responses that were received from informal sources of support. Differences between victim services users and non-users are presented throughout to further highlight the impact that peer responses and the receipt of peer referrals to services often had on subsequent help-seeking.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-7">Informal disclosure experiences</hd> <p>For almost all victim services users and non-users, the first person participants told was a close friend, and for a smaller number of participants, a current romantic partner. Participants discussed how the consequences of their victimization experience(s) led to their initial decision to disclose as well as influenced their subsequent disclosure decisions. More specifically, the sub-theme, <emph>motivations to disclose</emph>, emerged as participants, both victim services users and non-users, explained how the mental health and emotional impact of their victimization experience(s) brought on the need to talk with someone, most often a friend, in the hopes of receiving emotional support and validation. Upon disclosing to a friend, victim services users and non-users received drastically different reactions which shaped their subsequent healing and disclosure trajectories.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-8">Motivations to disclose</hd> <p>Participants described how one of the primary reasons behind their decision to disclose their experience(s) to was the desire for someone to validate the violence or abuse they had endured. For example, a victim services non-user explained that she first disclosed to a friend to confirm that both the abuse and her feelings about the abuse were justified: "I just wanted to feel like I wasn't crazy, like it was as bad as I thought it was. I just wanted another opinion." Another participant from the victim services non-user group also explained that she first disclosed to her friend about her abusive relationship in an attempt to validate the abuse she was experiencing:</p> <p>Because I needed to tell somebody and ... We're best friends so I just needed to tell somebody, part of it was that I felt like he was gaslighting me like crazy. And I needed to tell somebody just so I would know that somebody else saw the marks. I know I'm not crazy because another person has seen it, heard recordings of him acting crazy or whatever. Yeah, I think that was mostly ... It also just didn't feel right to not tell anybody, but it took me a bit before I told anyone.</p> <p>While some participants sought validation, other participants expressed that their decision to disclose was to receive emotional support as well as guidance on what to do next. For example, one victim services user described feeling at a complete loss for what to do after her victimization experience and how this was the primary motivation behind telling her friends. She explains, "At first, I was very confused and frazzled so I first told my roommate at the time....I told them almost immediately afterward." For participants seeking support and guidance, it seemed that keeping their experience(s) to themselves and not disclosing to anyone further exacerbated the negative emotional and mental health consequences they were experiencing. For example, one victim services non-user explains that she told her best friend about her experience after some time passed for the following reason:</p> <p>I think a lot of it was just the fact that I was keeping it to myself for a while. It's like destructive...I think I just needed someone to talk to about it. So it took me awhile to talk to her about it and then I just really wasn't doing well.</p> <p>For the participants who disclosed to a friend first, a small number elected to not utilize formal services because the person they told provided sufficient support. However, for many participants, both victim services users and non-users, the impact of their victimization led to continued emotional distress and therefore the need for additional assistance beyond what was provided from their friend. One participant, a victim services non-user, explained what occurred after disclosing to a friend, "So I got very depressed and anxious, and I think it was all those events that happened...all that stress plus transitioning to college." However, the help-seeking decisions that participants made following their initial disclosure to friends were often based upon the social reactions they received from the informal source of support.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-9">Peer knowledge</hd> <p>The reactions survivors received upon disclosing to their friends differed drastically between the participants in the victim services user and non-user groups, with many victim services non-users receiving responses that they perceived as not only unhelpful but also failed to include any referrals to services, including to the university-based victim services center. Comparatively, most participants in the victim services users group explained that they received responses from peers that they found to be helpful as they validated their experience, allowed them to tell their story, and offered help to the survivor. In addition, most of the victim services users explained that when they disclosed to a friend, they received a recommendation to seek formal support at the victim services center known as a "warm referral".</p> <p>For nearly all of the participants who utilized the victim services center, they received an explicit "warm referral" from either another formal service provider or a friend before seeking victim services, whereas none of the victim services non-users received a referral to the university-based victim services center from their friend(s). Many victim services non-users received negative and unhelpful responses upon disclosure to a friend, which included blaming the participant for their victimization experience, asking the survivor invasive questions, and shaming the survivor for remaining in the relationship. For example, one participant from the victim services non-user group described the response she received from a friend, "For me, it was just never that black and white. And so when I told one of my best friends like, 'Yeah, this guy is hurting me and he loves me,' the reaction was like, 'I'm going to kill him.... You have to leave him.'" These negative received social reactions from friends not only impacted survivors' decisions whether to seek formal support, but also shaped the ways in which survivors viewed their own victimization experiences. For example, despite feeling continued distress, this particular participant chose not to utilize formal services following this initial disclosure and explained this decision:</p> <p>I just don't see the point....But once I said this situation in motion where I go there somewhere and I document my name and my age and what exactly happened and all of that. And I feel like once I do that, it's always existing. And I just didn't ... I didn't see a reason to do all of that. Why worry more people when I'm going to waste time anyways?</p> <p>One victim services user explained that their friend not only sent them information about the victim services center after they disclosed their experience, but the friend also called the victim services center for advice: "[He] told me, like, a couple options that I had and ....sent me links to the website and stuff, so...My friend didn't tell me, but he also called [the victim services center] without telling me because he was like very concerned." Another participant from the victim services user group described how her friend's referral to the victim services center convinced her to seek services at the center when she had only briefly considered using the service previously:</p> <p>So after it had happened, my friends that I had told were saying like you know, like you can report it if you want, you don't have to, you can talk to [name of the victim services center] and I'd already thought about going to them because at my last school we didn't have something like that... I knew that I couldn't do it on my own and so I thought about going to the counseling center versus [name of the victim services center] and [name of the victim services center] is literally exactly for what I was going through.</p> <p>Another participant described a similar situation in which her friends' encouragement motivated her to seek services at the victim services center: "What helped me to seek services was the doctor encouraging me, friends encouraging me, and um, I knew I needed to do something and I didn't really know what."</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-10">Barriers and concerns with specialized victim services</hd> <p>Many victim services non-users described barriers to university-based victim services utilization, including an overall lack of awareness of the types of services the center provides, a lack of knowledge regarding the eligibility criteria for seeking such services as well as the process of utilizing services, and a lack of clarity regarding the potential outcome(s) of victim services utilization.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-11">Perception that services offered would not be a good fit</hd> <p>Almost all participants from both groups explained that they were aware of or had heard of the university-based victim services center as a result of many different outreach avenues, including posters, emails, and the inclusion of the office's name on their course syllabi. While participants had an overall awareness of the existence of the university-based victim services center, many participants in the victim services non-user group were unclear if their experiences "fit" within the criteria to be able to use services at the center. This includes some participants' beliefs that the university-based victim services center was only a rape crisis center and therefore focused on aiding rape survivors. As a result of this belief, participants felt that their experience was not "<emph>severe enough</emph>" or "<emph>important enough</emph>" to involve the university-based victim services center staff or to utilize their services. For example, one non-user of the victim services center explained, "...Personally I think if it was more serious, like if it was more physical I would've reached out to someone there [at the on-campus victim services center]." Another participant similarly explained that because they were unsure of their own identity as a victim, they did not feel that the on-campus victim services center was appropriate. This participant explained:</p> <p>Also because I don't, we know at times I feel like something happened but I can't define it as violence, you know, and those kind of things. So even when, when I heard about things like these, I am like am I really a violence victim? Am I even a victim for that matter?</p> <p>Another victim services non-user explained that she believed her experience did not fit within the criteria of rape and this was the reason she did not seek services:</p> <p>Well I think of them more as like rape crisis, rape intervention, and I was not raped. That is not what the situation was. So it just never really occurred. I know they have drop in hours. I hear a lot about that, but I guess I wasn't really familiar with like is it a group drop in. I didn't know if it was just for rape, I wasn't really sure what it was.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-12">Lack of an understanding of what victim services entail</hd> <p>Some participants said they did not want to utilize the university-based victim services center because they were concerned about confidentiality and anonymity. For example, one victim services non-user expressed the following concerns:</p> <p>Yeah, so let's say somebody goes through sexual assault, and they go to [the on-campus victim services center], and they're scared that they'll tell the police, and then the perpetrator, he finds out, and something happens, and then ... I think that's their fear. Or of [the on-campus victim services center] telling, but I know that [the on-campus victim services center] is confidential, unless, there's two factors, as to child abuse, or something like that that they have to report.</p> <p>Another victim services non-user shared concerns specifically related to her parent finding out if she was to utilize services. This was especially a concern for the participants who were unaware of the confidentiality that comes with utilizing victim services. For example, the participant explained:</p> <p>It's definitely because, or part of the reason is definitely because college is like this weird transitional state of people so it's like people still don't know if they're relying on their parents or they're taking charge of their own health, so I think it's like the fear of their parents finding out they go there or... especially with something that makes you so vulnerable. You don't want other people to know, yet you still want the help so it's like the fear of other people finding out, especially like your family, the people, or like anybody who's funding your school or your stuff like that.</p> <p>Evidently, participants lacked an understanding of what it means to disclose to a confidential source which impacted their decision to utilize the university-based victim services center.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-13">Lack of trust in the process and outcome</hd> <p>Some participants expressed an overall sense of distrust in the process of formal help-seeking and did not believe reporting a victimization experience would result in any type of justice. For these participants, a major barrier to formally seeking help on campus was the belief that services were focused only on survivors and victims, while those who committed the crimes were not held accountable for their behaviors and actions. This distrust in the system seemed to influence participants' decision to not seek formal help. For example, one victim services non-user shared: "...One reason I would choose not to [seek help] is knowing that the guy would never suffer any consequences. That's the only reason." Another victim services non-user similarly explained: "It's not like they're gonna talk to him or change the way he is, so I just don't think anyone could help."</p> <p>This lack of trust in the system impacted not only participants' sense of hope, but their understanding of the ways in which formal and informal services can support them following a victimization experience(s).</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-14">Discussion</hd> <p>This study explores the factors that both help and hinder DSV survivors from utilizing services from a university-based victim services center. Emergent findings show that for both victim service users and non-users, the first person who most survivors disclosed to was an informal source of support (e.g., friend, roommate, or partner). Further, the reactions survivors received when disclosing to informal sources differed drastically between the two groups of participants (victim services users and non-users). In the current study, many university-based victim services non-users received responses from informal sources that they perceived as unhelpful, and which failed to include referrals to formal services, including the victim services center. Comparatively, many of the university-based victim services users received a "warm referral" to the victim services center from an informal source of support.</p> <p>The current study demonstrates the substantial impact that peer responses to disclosures of DSV can have on survivors' subsequent help-seeking trajectories and, specifically, the influence that peers have on survivors' decisions to utilize university-based victim services. These findings align with the larger help-seeking literature which highlight the role that informal sources of support play in survivors' subsequent utilization of formal support services. For example, Campbell et al[<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref48">35</reflink>] found in a series of qualitative interviews that often survivors' first disclosures were voluntary and made to an informal source of support, and that the friends' reaction (and what they did with the information) that shaped what survivors did next. Taken together, these results demonstrate the importance of developing programs that will improve students' ability to respond to peer disclosures of DSV. As suggested by Edwards and Dardis,[<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref49">36</reflink>] university-based education programs should include key concepts such as debunking myths about interpersonal violence, increasing empathy for survivors, and skill-building to be able to respond positively to individuals with whom peers do not have close relationships.</p> <p>The findings from the current study also demonstrate the importance of receiving a referral to formal services from a peer to influence survivors' decisions to utilize violence specific services. Based on these findings, campus-based prevention and awareness programs should work to increase students' awareness of university-based victim services and emphasize the role that peers can play by providing referrals to available services to peer survivors of DSV. Additionally, university-based victim services must improve their efforts to educate students on what their services are and who can use such services. This requires campus DSV prevention and education programs to expand efforts to not only spread awareness of the availability of such services on campus, but to also highlight the potential positive role that peers and friends can play in survivors' lives.</p> <p>The current study also found that for a few participants, disclosing to a friend provided sufficient support, and, as such, these participants elected to not utilize university-based victim services. However, for many participants, the continued negative impact of their victimization required formal support. For these survivors, it is essential that they are connected with services; however, many participants in the study were unaware that the university-based victim services center offered long-term and trauma-informed services which would meet their needs. Additionally, many victim services non-users were not aware of the eligibility criteria for seeking such services, the process of utilizing services, and the potential outcome(s) of university-based victim services utilization. These findings align with previous models of help-seeking which include that as part of the cognitive process of deciding whether to seek help, survivors must view their DSV experience as a problem that is worthy of receiving assistance.[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref50">24</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref51">25</reflink>]</p> <p>For some survivors, using a victim services center means that their experiences must meet a certain threshold of severity or meet the stereotypical portrayal of DSV. This results in a reluctancy to see their experiences as worthy of intervention and, in turn, seek services. These findings highlight the need to improve access to broader psychoeducation information regarding services available to students. Further, university-based victim services centers' outreach efforts must ensure that students understand what it means to use such services and who is eligible to use them. These findings also demonstrate that violence prevention efforts are critical not only during college, but prior to college, in order to increase students' awareness and understanding of the wide range of behaviors that comprise DSV and how to recognize unhealthy relationships.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-15">Limitations and future research</hd> <p>This study was not without limitations. First, while the sample was diverse by ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation, the gender identities were homogeneous, with 32 of the participants identifying as cis-women and one participant identifying as a cis-man in the study. This limited researchers' ability to explore differences by gender identity in the data. In addition, the study was conducted at one university, and thus replication at other settings is needed. The analyses in the current study also did not look at students' unique and intersecting identities and the additional barriers to seeking support that some students may face. Future research is needed to examine this gap given the pervasive impact of DSV and particularly low disclosure rates among youth from minoritized groups. Lastly, in both phases of interviews (those conducted with victim services users and victim services non-users), questions slightly varied between phases and as a result, not all participants in the victim services users group were asked questions about their initial disclosure experience. This is a limitation in the study as analyses of the data focused on help-seeking decisions for both groups of participants.</p> <p>This study utilized survivors' voices to examine the barriers and drivers to utilization of university-based victim services with findings highlighting the role that peers play in help-seeking decisions. Based on this, future studies may wish to study dyads of survivors and disclosure recipients to help develop an understanding of both individuals' perceptions of the disclosure experience and whether they are aligned. Future studies could also include disclosure recipients that survivors identify as being helpful and provided a referral to university-based victim services in order to learn more about the recipients' profiles, as well as how they learned about such services and were able to communicate about them effectively. Lastly, as campuses develop programming to improve peers' responses to disclosures, research is needed to test whether those who participate in such specific trainings are more successful in providing supportive responses to DSV survivors.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-16">Conclusion</hd> <p>The findings from the current study underscore the importance of understanding the specific drivers and barriers to utilization of university-based victim services. The current study shows that while survivors of DSV undergo a process of help-seeking that is similar to those described in previous models, there are additional factors that contribute to a reluctancy to seek services at a university-based victim services center in particular that must be accounted for in the literature.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-17">Conflict of interest disclosure</hd> <p>The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Rutgers University.</p> <hd id="AN0174908846-18">Funding</hd> <p>No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.</p> <ref id="AN0174908846-19"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Fedina L, Holmes JL, Backes BL. Campus sexual assault: a systematic review of prevalence research from 2000 to 2015. Trauma Violence Abus. 2018; 19 (1): 76 – 93. doi: 10.1177/1524838016631129.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref39" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Krebs CP, Lindquist CH, Warner TD, Fisher BS, Martin SL. The Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) Study. Washington, DC : National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice; 2007.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref2" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> Muehlenhard CL, Peterson ZD, Humphreys TP, Jozkowski KN. Evaluating the one-in-five statistic: women's risk of sexual assault while in college. J Sex Res. 2017; 54 (4–5): 549 – 576.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref3" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> Cantor D, Fisher B, Chibnall SH, et al. Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct. Westat Inc. Washington, DC : Association of American Universities; 2015.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref4" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> Wood L, Voth Schrag R, Busch-Armendariz N. Mental health and academic impacts of intimate partner violence among IHE-attending women. J Am Coll Health. 2020; 68 (3): 286 – 293.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> Banyard VL, Cross C. Consequences of teen dating violence: understanding intervening variables in ecological context. Violence Against Women. 2008; 14 (9): 998 – 1013.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" idref="ref7" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> Banyard V, Edwards KM, Siebold WL. Involving community in sexual violence prevention: Engaging bystanders. In: Sturmey P, ed. The Wiley Handbook of Violence and Aggression. New York, NY : Wiley; 2017 : 1 – 12.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> Brewer N, Thomas KA, Higdon J. Intimate partner violence, health, sexuality, and academic performance among a national sample of undergraduates. J Am Coll Health. 2018; 66 (7): 683 – 692.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" idref="ref8" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> Muñoz-Rivas MJ, Graña JL, O'Leary KD, González MP. Aggression in adolescent dating relationships: prevalence, justification, and health consequences. J Adolesc Health. 2007; 40 (4): 298 – 304. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.11.137.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Jordan CE, Combs JL, Smith GT. An exploration of sexual victimization and academic performance among college women. Trauma Violence Abus. 2014; 15 (3): 191 – 200. doi: 10.1177/1524838014520637.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> McMahon S, Wood L, Cusano J, Macri LM. Campus sexual assault: future directions for research. Sex Abuse. 2019; 31 (3): 270 – 295. doi: 10.1177/1079063217750864.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. Campus climate surveys: Useful tools to help colleges and universities in their efforts to reduce and prevent sexual assault. 2014. https://<ulink href="http://www.justice.gov/archives/ovw/page/file/910426/download">www.justice.gov/archives/ovw/page/file/910426/download</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wood L, Voth Schrag R, Hairston D, Jones C. Exploring advocacy practices for interpersonal violence survivors on college campuses: approaches and key factors. Psychology of Violence. 2021; 11 (1): 28 – 39. doi: 10.1037/vio0000343.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Smith CP, Freyd JJ. Dangerous safe havens: institutional betrayal exacerbates sexual trauma. J Trauma Stress. 2013; 26 (1): 119 – 124.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Eisenberg ME, Lust KA, Hannan PJ, Porta C. Campus sexual violence resources and emotional health of college women who have experienced sexual assault. Violence Vict. 2016; 31 (2): 274 – 284.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Branch KA, Richards TN. The effects of receiving a rape disclosure: college friends' stories. Violence Against Women. 2013; 19 (5): 658 – 670. doi: 10.1177/1077801213490509.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Warnken H, Lauritsen J. (2019). Who experiences violent victimization and who accesses services? Findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey for expanding our reach. Center for Victim Research. https://ncvc.dspacedirect.org/handle/20.500.11990/1230</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Fisher BS, Daigle LE, Cullen FT, Turner MG. Reporting sexual victimization to the police and others: Results from a national-level study of college women. Crim Justice Behav. 2003; 30 (1): 6 – 38. doi: 10.1177/0093854802239161.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Halstead V, Williams JR, Gonzalez‐Guarda R. Sexual violence in the college population: a systematic review of disclosure and campus resources and services. J Clin Nurs. 2017; 26 (15–16): 2137 – 2153.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sabina C, Ho LY. Campus and college victim responses to sexual assault and dating violence: disclosure, service utilization, and service provision. Trauma Violence Abus. 2014; 15 (3): 201 – 226. doi: 10.1177/1524838014521322.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Orchowski LM, Gidycz CA. Psychological consequences associated with positive and negative responses to disclosure of sexual assault among college women: a prospective study. Violence Against Women. 2015; 21 (7): 803 – 823.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Orchowski LM, Meyer DH, Gidycz CA. College women's likelihood to report unwanted sexual experiences to campus agencies: trends and correlates. J Aggress Maltreat Trauma. 2009; 18 (8): 839 – 858. doi: 10.1080/10926770903291779.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sylaska KM, Edwards KM. Disclosure of intimate partner violence to informal social support network members: a review of the literature. Trauma Violence Abus. 2014; 15 (1): 3 – 21. doi: 10.1177/1524838013496335.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Liang B, Goodman L, Tummala-Narra P, Weintraub S. A theoretical framework for understanding help‐seeking processes among survivors of intimate partner violence. Am J Community Psychol. 2005; 36 (1–2): 71 – 84.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> DeLoveh HL, Cattaneo LB. Deciding where to turn: a qualitative investigation of college students' help seeking decisions after sexual assault. Am J Community Psychol. 2017; 59 (1–2): 65 – 79.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Patterson D, Greeson M, Campbell R. Understanding rape survivors' decisions not to seek help from formal social systems. Health Soc Work. 2009; 34 (2): 127 – 136. doi: 10.1093/hsw/34.2.127.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Smith CP, Freyd JJ. Institutional betrayal. Am Psychol. 2014; 69 (6): 575 – 587. doi: 10.1037/a0037564.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> McCoyd JL, Shdaimah CS. Revisiting the benefits debate: does qualitative social work research produce salubrious effects? Soc Work. 2007; 52 (4): 340 – 349.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Patton MQ. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. New York : SAGE Publications, Inc.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Campbell R, Adams A, Wasco S, Ahrens C, Sefl T. What has it been like for you to talk with me today?: the impact of participating in interview research on rape survivors? Violence Against Women. 2010; 16 (1): 60 – 83.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006; 3 (2): 77 – 101. [Database] doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Corbin J, Strauss A. Strategies for qualitative data analysis. In Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. New York : Sage Publications, Inc.; 2014.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Carter N, Bryant-Lukosius D, DiCenso A, Blythe J, Neville AJ. The use of triangulation in qualitative research. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2014; 41 (5): 545 – 547. doi: 10.1188/14.ONF.545-547.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Padgett D. Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research. New York : SAGE Publications, Inc.; 2008.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Campbell R, Greeson MR, Fehler-Cabral G, Kennedy AC. Pathways to help: adolescent sexual assault victims' disclosure and help-seeking experiences. Violence Against Women. 2015; 21 (7): 824 – 847.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Edwards KM, Dardis CM. Disclosure recipients' social reactions to victims' disclosure of intimate partner violence. J Interpers Violence. 2020; 35 (1–2): 53 – 76.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0174908846-20"> <title> Footnotes </title> <blist> <bibtext> Both the term "victim" and "survivor" are used in this paper, as each individual who experiences dating and/or sexual violence may identify differently throughout the recovery process.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Julia Cusano; Leila Wood; Roxanna S. Ast; Sarah McMahon; Jordan J. Steiner and Cassie Spector</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref36"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref41"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref43"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref47"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref48"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref49"></nolink>
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1408466
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Help-Seeking among College Survivors of Dating and Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Exploration of Utilization of University-Based Victim Services
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Julia+Cusano%22">Julia Cusano</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leila+Wood%22">Leila Wood</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5095-2577">0000-0001-5095-2577</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Roxanna+S%2E+Ast%22">Roxanna S. Ast</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8922-0277">0000-0001-8922-0277</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sarah+McMahon%22">Sarah McMahon</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jordan+J%2E+Steiner%22">Jordan J. Steiner</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cassie+Spector%22">Cassie Spector</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+American+College+Health%22"><i>Journal of American College Health</i></searchLink>. 2024 72(1):101-108.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 8
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2024
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Help+Seeking%22">Help Seeking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+Abuse%22">Sexual Abuse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dating+%28Social%29%22">Dating (Social)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Violence%22">Violence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Victims+of+Crime%22">Victims of Crime</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Disclosure+%28Individuals%29%22">Self Disclosure (Individuals)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Services%22">Services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motivation%22">Motivation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Relationship%22">Peer Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Knowledge+Level%22">Knowledge Level</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/07448481.2021.2024208
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0744-8481<br />1940-3208
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: Study uses qualitative data to examine help-seeking decisions as well as the drivers and barriers to utilization of university-based victim services through the accounts of survivors. Participants: The current study involves the analysis of 33 semi-structured interviews that were conducted with dating and sexual violence (DSV) survivors at a large, Mid-Atlantic University who both did and did not utilize university-based victim services. Methods: Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Analysis shows that while survivors of DSV undergo a process of help-seeking that is similar to those described in previous help-seeking models, there are additional factors that contribute to a reluctancy to seek services at a university-based victim services center in particular that must be accounted for in the literature. Conclusions: The findings from the current study underscore the importance of understanding the specific drivers and barriers to utilization of university-based victim services.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2024
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1408466
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1408466
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/07448481.2021.2024208
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 8
        StartPage: 101
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Help Seeking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual Abuse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dating (Social)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Violence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Victims of Crime
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Disclosure (Individuals)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Motivation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Peer Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Knowledge Level
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Help-Seeking among College Survivors of Dating and Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Exploration of Utilization of University-Based Victim Services
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Julia Cusano
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Leila Wood
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Roxanna S. Ast
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sarah McMahon
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jordan J. Steiner
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cassie Spector
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2024
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0744-8481
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1940-3208
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 72
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of American College Health
              Type: main
ResultId 1