Building Support for Survivors: An Intervention to Enhance Support for Collegiate Victims of Sexual Violence

• In Event: Gender, Victimization, and Justice: Exploring Impacts and Intervention Strategies

Abstract

Sexual victimization is linked to negative impacts on victims’ health, economic stability, and educational circumstances. Being a victim is a stigmatized identity, with survivors often facing scrutiny and blame, which can exacerbate negative outcomes. Despite the critical role of social support in facilitating victims' recovery, few interventions aim to strengthen support for survivors of sexual assault—especially within college populations, where peers play significant roles. This study assessed the effectiveness of a novel training intervention (Building Support for Survivors) aimed at enhancing the social support that college students provide to their friends who disclose sexual victimization. Building Support for Survivors was evaluated using a quasi-experimental design with a population of sorority women at nine American universities. Results indicate Building Support for Survivors may enhance support for survivors by reducing rape myth acceptance and anticipated negative social responses to disclosure. Moreover, this study found that this population may experience higher levels of sexual victimization than has been previously reported. This study highlights the pressing need and potential promise of interventions to enhance support for victims in campus communities.

Author

• Tara K. Streng-Schroeter, University of Colorado Boulder