Study says sexual violence survivors often expect campus systems to fail them

George Mason University-led research says college survivors weigh safety, stigma, confidentiality and trust before seeking help, which helps explain why many avoid reporting. The team created a new framework, the Survivors’ Calculus, to show how campus systems can shift the burden of healing onto survivors.

Why it matters: - Sexual violence is common on U.S. college campuses, and many incidents go unreported. - The study says campus systems can add harm when survivors expect retraumatization, disbelief or punishment instead of support. - The findings could help universities design support that is confidential, trauma-informed and less burdened by reporting processes.

What happened: - George Mason University-led researchers published new findings in Violence Against Women. - The team developed the Survivors’ Calculus, a framework for understanding how survivors decide whether and how to seek help. - The study drew on responses from students in the University of California system who are survivors of sexual violence. - Researchers also reviewed survey responses from students, faculty and staff across several University of California campuses. - Sara Wilf, assistant professor in George Mason’s Department of Social Work, was the paper’s lead author and co-principal investigator.

The details: - The Survivors’ Calculus centers on four themes: navigating self-realization and the repercussions of reporting; seeking emotional and professional support; managing logistical support and confidentiality concerns; and experiencing re-traumatization through the Title IX office and police. - Wilf said survivors face structural barriers to resources from the moment sexual violence occurs, while also managing the initial trauma. - The study found that survivors want confidential, trauma-informed resources that reflect their social identities and experiences. - Survivors consistently identified confidential campus survivor advocates and therapists as the most helpful resources. - Survivors often described police and Title IX offices as retraumatizing, with those systems perceived as more focused on punishing perpetrators than on survivor healing. - LGBTQIA+ and racially minoritized survivors faced greater structural barriers to safe, trauma-informed resources. - LGBTQIA+ and racially minoritized survivors also reported greater fear of reporting systems and worse experiences when they used them. - The research noted that one-fourth of undergraduate students on U.S. college campuses report experiencing sexual violence, though incidents are often not reported. - The article says racially minoritized, gender diverse, LGBTQIA+ and cisgender women face the highest rates of sexual violence. - The study says sexual violence can affect mental health and academic performance. - Co-authors came from the University of California, Irvine; Sam Houston State University; the University of California, Los Angeles; CUNY; and California State University. - The work received funding from the UCLA Center for the Study of Women| Barbra Streisand Center, the UCLA Frank D. Gilliam Jr. Social Justice Award and the UCLA Bruin Advocacy Grant Award.

Between the lines: - The framework suggests help-seeking is not just a personal decision. It is shaped by whether survivors believe institutions will protect them, believe them and preserve their privacy. - The study points to a gap between formal reporting systems and the kinds of support survivors say they actually need. - That gap may be widest for students with marginalized identities, who face more barriers and less trust in campus institutions.

What's next: - Wilf said the researchers hope other scholars will use the framework to study help-seeking in their own settings and institutions. - The study’s authors say policymakers, education leaders, social workers and community organizations can use the findings to build wraparound support that does not force survivors to navigate systems alone. - George Mason also directs readers to Wilf’s additional research on understanding sexual assault and recovery on college campuses here.