A Qualitative Study of Sexual Assault Disclosure Impact and Help-Seeking on Support Providers.

Friends, family, and significant others who receive disclosures of sexual assault from survivors are also susceptible to the effects of trauma. Most studies on the impact of sexual assault disclosure focus on the experiences of friends of survivors but not significant others or family members, and do not examine support providers' (SPs) help-seeking behaviors. This study of 45 matched pairs of sexual assault survivors and SPs explored the impact of receiving a disclosure and dealing with the emotional weight of these disclosures.

Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Disclosure: A Qualitative Study of Informal Support Dyads.

This interview study examined 45 informal support dyads where sexual assault was disclosed. Analysis showed social reactions and appraisals of reactions varied by relationship type (family, friend, significant other). Themes identified were role reversal or "parentification" of supporters, reactions of anger and aggression toward perpetrators, supporters using their own trauma experiences to respond to survivors, and reactions of betrayal.