Citation

DePrince AP, Wright N, Gagnon KL, Srinivas T, Labus J. Violence Against Women 2019; ePub(ePub): 1077801219838345.

Affiliation

University of California, Los Angeles, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801219838345

PMID

30943114

Abstract

Following sexual assault, little is known about how the social reactions women receive from informal supports and community-based providers relate to decisions to report to law enforcement. Among 213 diverse women who had disclosed a recent sexual assault to a community-based provider, 56% reported to law enforcement. Law enforcement reporting was associated with more positive (tangible aid) and less negative (distraction, being treated differently) reactions from informal supports and more tangible aid and less emotional support from community-based providers. Tangible aid from community-based providers predicted law enforcement reporting over the subsequent 9 months among women who had not initially reported.

Language: en

Keywords

community-based providers; criminal justice system; informal social supports; law enforcement; reporting; sexual assault; social reactions