Citation

Richter RK, Anderson JC, Miller E, Bonomi AE, De Genna NM, Feinstein Z, Kass G, Lampe K, Mathier A, Chugani CD. Qual. Health Res. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1049732321998054

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Students with disabilities are one student group with elevated risk of sexual violence. Although they would benefit from streamlined access to campus support, little is known about their patterns of campus service use. This qualitative analysis includes data from semi-structured interviews with 51 students with disabilities who experienced sexual violence focused on service use across campus. The resultant conceptual model shows that greater accessibility is associated with positive experiences, and lower accessibility is associated with negative experiences. Students with disabilities who experienced or expected negative reactions (e.g., judgment) were less likely to use services and were less satisfied. Advocacy and support in connecting students with disability or sexual violence services was associated with positive experiences and increased accessibility. These findings highlight key facilitators and barriers to campus service use for students with disabilities with sexual violence histories and suggest key intervention points for increasing accessibility, reducing stigma, and improving student experiences with campus providers, staff, and faculty.

Language: en

Keywords

disability; adolescents; qualitative; health promotion; social support; health; youth; young adults; communication; stigma; at risk; community and public health; disabled persons; doctor-patient; health care; health seeking; nurse-patient; Region: Pennsylvania and West Virginia; Research methods: Qualitative; sexual abuse; United States of America; users’ experiences