NCJ Number
134024
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 17 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1991) Pages: 33-42
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Data collected from questionnaires administered to 250 students, faculty, and staff at a midwestern university were used to examine why victims of sexual offenses are often reluctant to formally report victimization yet may be willing to discuss it in their personal relationships. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 12 women who had reported some victimization experience.
Abstract
The results of the survey and the follow-up interviews provided corroborating results. While many victims of sexual offenses tended to be fearful in terms of making formal reports to the authorities, they were likely to talk to friends, particularly females, whom they found to be supportive. Supportive behaviors were characterized as empathetic, affirming, and nonjudgmental, while nonsupportive reactions were described as invalidating, shaming, or blaming. The tendency of victims to experience difficulties when seeking help from social service or criminal justice agencies exacerbated their reluctance not to report their victimization. 20 references