Barriers to Formal Help-seeking following Sexual Violence: Review from within an Ecological Systems Framework

Only a minority of adolescent/adult survivors seek formal assistance following sexual victimization, and as such may not receive adequate care. The current paper is a systematic review of the published literature on barriers to formal help-seeking from within an ecological systems framework. Results supported that survivors often face significant help-seeking barriers at multiple levels of the ecological system. At the individual level, barriers include being a member of an oppressed or minoritized group, lack of acknowledgment of the sexual victimization, and self-stigma related to one's victimization. At the microsystem level, barriers include negative reactions to assault disclosure as well as fear of reprisal from the perpetrator. At the mesosystem and exosystem levels, barriers include a lack of resource access and availability, laws that can impede help-seeking, rigid societal gender roles, and cultural norms that emphasize secrecy and maintenance of family honor. Implications for research, practice, and policy include a need for research focused on barriers to help-seeking at multiple ecological levels, policies to increase resource availability and access, and training of providers to ensure competence to address survivors' needs.