Citation

Anderson GD, Overby R. J. Community Psychol. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Social Work, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jcop.22348

PMID

32207152

Abstract

Research with survivors of sexual violence suggests that most do not seek supportive services from community organizations. The purpose of this study is to understand the unique barriers that service providers, who are also survivors of sexual violence, may experience and how it informs their work with survivors. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 female, trans, and nonbinary survivors of sexual violence who are also employed as domestic violence or sexual assault advocates, community organizers, therapists, health care providers, educators, or substance abuse counselors, and had worked with survivors of sexual violence in their current positions. We coded the data using a multistep strategy derived from grounded theory. Participants indicated sensitivity to community-level barriers including where services are offered, perceived cost of services, and taking time off of work. Internalized blame, shame, minimization of their experiences, and trauma were also mentioned as significant barriers for themselves and impacted their work with survivors. Our findings suggest a need for trauma-informed intervention in community practice and policy.

© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

access to services; community mental health services; help-seeking behavior; qualitative research; rape; sexual violence; trauma