Negative Social Reactions Research Articles

Narratives on disclosure of sexual violence: Survivors' responses to public testimony to a high-profile case.

Sexual violence is prevalent and associated with an elevated risk for physical health problems and psychological disorders. The social reactions survivors receive in response to disclosures of sexual violence can impact their postassault recovery. Many survivors do not disclose experiences of sexual violence, which can also complicate the course of recovery. The present study aims to further our understanding of survivors' experiences of sexual violence and their decisions to disclose or not disclose. The data set used is also of historical significance as it captures responses to one of the most public disclosures of sexual assault. Qualitative themes were identified from unsolicited, de-identified personal correspondence (n = 91) from a large archive sent to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford after her public testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee describing an alleged sexual assault. Thematic analyses indicated five common negative reactions (i.e., dismissal, disbelief or denial, lack of repercussions for the perpetrator, retaliation, and victim blame) and two positive reactions (i.e., appropriate action and emotional support) in response to sexual violence disclosures. Reasons for nondisclosure included shame and fear of negative social reactions. Findings suggest that the interpersonal act of sexual violence disclosure is a dynamic process that can have lasting effects on survivors and has implications for fostering a sociocultural climate that facilitates posttraumatic growth in the aftermath of sexual violence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Too much or not enough? Self-reported experiences of relational distress based on level of sexual desire

ABSTRACT The diagnostic of sexual desire disorders is based on not only physiological and psychological symptoms but also on the extent of distress about these symptoms. Using data from a 2022 national survey of 3,000 respondents in Austria, this paper explores the range of relational distress individuals experience about their level of sexual desire. Participants were asked, ‘Have you ever been ostracised or ridiculed in your life for feeling too much (not enough) sexual desire? If yes, in what way?’ Gender and sexual minorities were more likely than cisgender and heterosexual participants to report negative reactions to their level of desire. The paper presents the results of a thematic analysis of the 341 written answers to the latter question. The analysis identified three themes: a) harassment, such as mocking, bullying, or public humiliation; b) the pathologization of desire as a sexual disorder; and c) negative social classification with respect to gender, age, or sexual orientation. By investigating different types of negative social reactions that individuals experience with respect to their level of sexual desire, the paper critically questions an individualised notion of sexual distress that has often been the basis for biomedical and psychological interventions by highlighting social factors that produce distress in the first place.

Mediating effect of health literacy on social support and self-care ability in older patients undergoing percutaneous coronary stent implantation.

Health literacy refers to individual skills to access, process, understand, and use health information to stay healthy. Social support is a multi-faceted construct including of perceived, enacted, and structural support dimensions and negative social reactions. This study explored the mediating effect of health literacy on social support and self-care ability in older patients undergoing percutaneous coronary stent implantation (PCI). Between December 2021 and March 2022, a total of 249 older patients who underwent PCI in our hospital were included in this cross-sectional study using the convenience sampling method. The demographic and health history of patients was collected by questionnaire. Exercise of self-care agency scale (ESCA), chronic disease health literacy management scale (HeLMS) and social support rating scale (SSRS) were also analyzed and their correlations were evaluated. This study indicated that the total scores of health literacy, self-care ability and social support after PCI were 85.96±20.03, 82.82±27.65 and 25.3±4.93, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that health literacy, social support and self-care ability were positively correlated. Both social support (P=0.003) and health literacy (P=0.03) could positively predict self-care ability. Health literacy played a partial mediating role between social support and self-care ability, and the mediating effect was 0.015, accounting for 7.32% of the total effect. The health literacy and social support are at the high levels, and the self-care ability of PCI patients is at a medium level. The health literacy of older patients after PCI is the ability of social support and self-care ability. Medical staff can enhance the health literacy of patients by improving their level of social support, and then promote their self-care ability.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and risky alcohol use: The roles of negative social reactions to sexual assault disclosure and trauma-related shame.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) and risky alcohol use (RAU) frequently co-occur among those with a history of sexual assault, and this co-occurrence has been linked to severe psychosocial and functional impairment. The current study examined the roles of negative social reactions to sexual assault disclosure and trauma-related shame in the association between PTS severity and RAU. This was tested by examining the separate and sequential indirect effects of negative social reactions and trauma-related shame in the PTSD-RAU relation among individuals with a history of sexual assault. Data were collected from 235 individuals who endorsed a history of sexual assault (Mage = 35.45, 70.5% women, 83.8% White). Negative social reactions (b = .03, SE = .01, p < .05, 95% CI [.005, .06]) and trauma-related shame (b = .03, SE = .01, p < .05, 95% CI [.003, .06]), separately, and sequentially (b = .01, SE = .004, p < .05, 95% CI [.001, .02]) explained the relation between PTS severity and RAU. Findings suggest that it may be valuable to assess and neutralize negative social reactions to reduce trauma-related shame and subsequent RAU among individuals with a history of sexual assault who experience more severe PTS severity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Social Reactions to Disclosures of Multiple-Perpetrator Sexual Assault: Do Number of Offenders Matter?

Sexual assault (SA) victimization is a prevalent issue both in the U.S. and globally. Although SA victimization is usually perpetrated by a single-perpetrator, multiple-perpetrator sexual assaults (MPSAs) also occur. Unfortunately, there is less literature concerning MPSAs, including the well-being of survivors' post-assault. One factor that has been shown to be important in the well-being of SA survivors' post-assault are the social reactions survivors receive from others following disclosure. The current study sought to compare social reactions received by MPSA survivors to the social reactions received by single-perpetrator sexual assault (SPSA) survivors in a community sample of adult female SA survivors (N = 1,863). We examined "turning against" (TA) reactions, a type of negative social reaction in which the supporter expresses more overtly distressing reactions that focus blame on the victim. We also examined unsupportive acknowledgment reactions (UA) the second type of negative reaction in which survivors receive acknowledgment that the assault occurred but are not supported. Additionally, we examined differences in positive reactions that survivors received from their support systems. One-way Analysis of Variance showed statistically significant differences in social reactions to disclosure according to number of offenders in the SA, with MPSA survivors receiving more TA and UA negative reactions than SPSA survivors. There were no differences in positive reactions by number of offenders. Multiple regression analyses also revealed that several demographics, assault characteristics, and post-assault factors (total Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, coping, attributions of self-blame) were related to the social reactions received by MPSA survivors post-assault. Implications and recommendations for support providers are discussed.

Effects of Social Acknowledgment and Interpersonal Shame on Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms of Sexual Violence Survivors in South Korea.

Sexual violence (SV) survivors face negative social reactions, which can affect their recovery. Based on the socio-interpersonal model of trauma, understanding how societal circumstances impact SV survivors' mental health is important. This study examined conditional indirect effects of interpersonal shame and social acknowledgment on the relationship between perceived SV event severity and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms. Cross-sectional data from 157 community-based adults who had previously experienced SV were collected from an online panel. Exploratory factor analysis of the Social Acknowledgment Questionnaire was conducted, followed by conditional indirect analyses using Models 1, 4, and 7 of PROCESS macro. First, results showed that a two-factor model of social acknowledgment consisting of "social disapproval" and "social recognition" was more suitable for this study than a three-factor model predominantly used by Western societies. Second, interpersonal shame partially mediated the relationship between perceived SV event severity and CPTSD symptoms. Third, the conditional indirect effect of social disapproval on the mediating effect of interpersonal shame was significant when the social disapproval level was high. This indicates that the indirect effect of interpersonal shame on CPTSD increases when the social disapproval level is high. This study supported the socio-interpersonal perspective of trauma and suggested that increasing social acknowledgment beyond personal-level intervention would be a critical step for recovery of SV survivors to decrease their interpersonal shame and CPTSD.

Exploring the use of emotional sentiment to understanding market response to unexpected corporate pivots

This article studies the influence of social media sentiment on stock prices, focusing on significant shifts by Eastman Kodak. Utilising a unique emotion-based lexicon, the research indicates that social media sentiment immediately reflects stock market responses to major corporate changes. The sentiment techniques used align with the timeline of Kodak’s announcements. Excitement was found to have the greatest impact on Kodak’s prices. However, emotions like anxiety, panic, and revulsion indicated a notable negative social media reaction. The study cautions against the potential volatility in the market when many investors react to the same dubious information. These findings emphasise the significance of adhering to legal and regulatory standards in corporate governance and advocate for transparency and accountability in policy-making for a more reliable financial system.

Social Reactions toward Online Disclosure of Sexual Violence

Many survivors of sexual violence have come forward to disclose their experiences on social media. The disclosure has generated positive and negative social reactions. Social media users either victimize sexual violence survivors or advocate against it, according to previous studies. This study aims to explore Twitter users’ social reactions to sexual violence disclosure and their narratives. This study used social network analysis and analyzed 1,678 tweets extracted from the Twitter search function. This study discovers two major themes and twelve subthemes of social reactions. New subthemes emerged: condemnation, curiosity, and sharing experiences (positive social reactions) and humor (negative social reactions). The narratives within negative social reactions brought digital harm to sexual violence survivors with prejudice, hostility, and normalization of sexual violence. Meanwhile, positive social reactions represent resistance by challenging harmful users and the authority and retelling sexual violence experiences to a bigger audience. This study provides input to design policy interventions to guide social media users in responding to sexual violence disclosures.

Social Reactions to Disclosures of Intimate Partner Stalking and Unwanted Pursuit Behaviors: Associations With PTSD, Academic Outcomes, and Empowerment.

Among college survivors of unwanted pursuit behaviors (UPBs; 40.1%, n = 189) or intimate partner stalking (IPS, i.e., UPBs causing emotional distress; 32.1%, n = 151), the present study examined effects of social reactions to disclosures on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, academic outcomes, and personal empowerment. Compared to UPB survivors, IPS survivors were more likely to disclose and reported higher positive and negative reactions to disclosure as well as greater frequency of UPBs/IPS, IPV, and PTSD symptoms. Among both groups, only negative social reactions were positively associated with PTSD symptoms. However, among IPS (but not UPB) survivors, only positive social reactions were related to academic outcomes and empowerment when controlling for PTSD and IPS frequency. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Social Reactions to Disclosure of Sexual Violence Experienced by Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults: Comparisons of Sexual and Gender Minority Recipients Versus Cisgender/Heterosexual Recipients.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are at an increased risk of experiencing sexual violence (SV). Social reactions received upon disclosure of SV impact survivors' mental health, and this may be more extreme when social reactions are provided by other SGM individuals. The purpose of the current study was to understand the SV disclosure experiences of SGM young adults, including the identity of disclosure recipients and the quality of the social reactions received by SGM and cisgender/heterosexual disclosure recipients. Additionally, the current study sought to examine how the SGM identity of the disclosure recipient and the quality of the social reactions received were associated with mental health outcomes (depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], and alcohol use) among SGM SV survivors. SGM-identifying participants (N = 110) completed a 10-min survey on Qualtrics that was distributed through Prime Panels. Results revealed that 83% of participants (SGM survivors of SV) disclosed their SV experience to other SGM individuals. SGM disclosure recipients provided more positive social reactions and fewer negative social reactions than cisgender/heterosexual disclosure recipients. Regression models indicated that positive social reactions from cisgender/heterosexual recipients were associated with a decrease in depression scores. Negative social reactions from SGM recipients were associated with an increase in depression scores. Unexpectedly, positive social reactions from SGM recipients, while negative social reactions from cisgender/heterosexual recipients, were associated with an increase in PTSD scores. No associations were found between social reactions and alcohol use. Findings highlight the importance of social reactions and disclosure experiences on SGM survivors' mental health and mitigation opportunities to improve these disclosure experiences.

Strabismus outcomes in pediatric patients undergoing disconnective hemispheric surgery for intractable epilepsy: a systematic review

ContexteLes enfants qui subissent une chirurgie hémisphérique en raison d'une épilepsie rebelle sont exposés à des complications visuelles, notamment le strabisme. Notre revue de synthèse systématique vise à examiner les taux d'apparition et les caractéristiques du strabisme après une chirurgie hémisphérique et à évaluer les retombées cliniques pour les soins d'ophtalmologie. MéthodesOn a procédé à une recherche systématique des bases de données MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, PsychINFO et Web of Science depuis leur création jusqu’à mai 2022. Les articles inclus portaient sur la présence de strabisme chez des enfants qui ont subi une hémisphérectomie ou une hémisphérotomie. Ont été exclues les revues de synthèse et les publications dans une langue autre que l'anglais. Les outils d'évaluation critique du Joanna Briggs Institute ont servi à évaluer le risque de biais. On a par la suite extrait et analysé les données démographiques et les caractéristiques du strabisme. RésultatsSur les 41 articles évalués, 10 études regroupant 384 enfants (48 % de sujets de sexe féminin) âgés de 6 mois à 16 ans au moment de la chirurgie ont été incluses. Les taux de strabisme préopératoire s’échelonnaient de 3 à 56 %, tandis que les taux postopératoires s’échelonnaient de 38 à 100 %. Quant au site de la chirurgie hémisphérique, la forme la plus fréquente était l'exodéviation controlatérale (16 à 67 %; n = 7), suivie de l'exodéviation ipsilatérale (16 à 56 %; n = 2); l’ésodéviation ipsilatérale était peu fréquente (4 à 9 %; n = 3). ConclusionsL'exotropie controlatérale et l’ésotropie ipsilatérale sont des conséquences possibles de la chirurgie hémisphérique qui peuvent entraîner un élargissement du champ visuel. Il est important de soupeser les réactions sociales négatives par rapport au risque de réduction du champ visuel et/ou de diplopie à la suite d'une chirurgie pour corriger le strabisme. On devra réaliser des études de meilleure qualité comportant des populations homogènes, bien décrites (évaluations ophtalmologiques pré- et postopératoires complètes) et de grande envergure si l'on aspire à connaître véritablement le risque de strabisme et son taux d'apparition après une chirurgie hémisphérique.

Online Social Reactions to Disclosure of Sexual Victimization via #MeToo and Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Sexual victimization is a major public health concern with significant consequences for survivors, their families, and society at large. Studies examining in-person disclosure of sexual victimization suggest that the way others respond to disclosure has a significant impact on survivors' well-being. With the advent of social media, more survivors are choosing to disclose their experience online. Research is needed to understand how social reactions to online disclosure of sexual victimization impact survivors. Accordingly, the current study examined the association between online social reactions to the disclosure of sexual victimization and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a sample of 195 individuals who disclosed their experience online via the hashtag #MeToo. Symptoms of PTSD were positively associated with the level of assault severity reported by the survivor, as well as receipt of online social reactions to disclosure via #MeToo that made fun, insulted, or said something to hurt the survivor. Online social reactions to disclosure via #MeToo that involved turning away from the survivor or providing unsupportive acknowledgment of the experience were unrelated with PTSD symptoms. PTSD symptoms were also not associated with the receipt of positive online social reactions to disclosure via #MeToo. Like research addressing in-person social reactions to disclosure of sexual victimization, some forms of online negative social reactions to disclosure of sexual victimization via #MeToo appear to be associated with worse psychological outcomes among survivors. Thus, online disclosure of sexual victimization and its impact needs to be attended to in clinical and research settings.

Women Receive More Positive Reactions to Childhood Sexual Abuse Disclosure and Negative Reactions are Associated With Mental Health Symptoms in Adulthood for Men and Women.

Although disclosure of sexual abuse has become more socially acceptable for both men and women in recent years, there is much yet to be understood about differences in the disclosure process and associated pathology between men and women. The current study aimed to (a) investigate differences in aspects of the childhood sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure process between adult men and women and (b) explore how timing of disclosure, perceived parental style, and negative social reactions to disclosure relate to various mental health symptoms. Using a cross-sectional, quasi-experimental design, adult men and women in the United States recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (N = 299) completed self-report surveys. Women reported disclosing to a significantly greater number of people than men, and were more likely to disclose to parents, while men were more likely to tell friends. Results revealed that women reported receiving significantly more positive responses and emotionally supportive responses to their CSA disclosures than men. Negative reactions to disclosure were positively associated with internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms, while both negative reactions to disclosure and perceived parental dysfunction were positively associated with substance use symptoms. Results signify a need for resources to aid individuals in supporting survivors of CSA, as reactions have the potential to impact recovery trajectory and for clinicians to consider how disclosure experiences impact survivor cognitions and symptom exacerbation.

Bisexual women’s recovery after sexual assault: Stigma, negative social reactions, and hazardous drinking.

Bisexual women’s recovery after sexual assault: Stigma, negative social reactions, and hazardous drinking.

"Sometimes It Seems Easier to Push It Away": A Study Into the Barriers to Help-Seeking for Victims of Sexual Violence.

Experiencing sexual violence may have serious long-term consequences for victims. Seeking help may decrease the chances of developing long-term physical and psychosocial problems. Still not every victim seeks help, and especially with victimization of sexual violence, there may be several reasons as to why. The barriers to help-seeking are diverse and may depend on several contextual factors. This study, as part of a larger research project, aimed to determine the barriers that victims of sexual violence experience in their decision to seek help in a non-college setting. This mixed-methods study included an online survey (N = 133) and open-ended survey (N = 207) amongst victims of 18 years and older. The online survey data were analyzed using chi-square tests for independence and t-tests; the open-ended survey data were analyzed using a descriptive approach. The online survey data showed that minimization of the incident was higher for non-help-seekers, whilst distrust toward support providers and issues with the accessibility of help were higher for help-seekers. No further significant associations were found between the decision to seek help and the barriers to help-seeking. From the open-ended survey data, three categories of barriers were distinguished: (a) individual barriers, such as feelings of shame, (b) interpersonal barriers, such as the fear of negative social reactions and (c) sociocultural barriers, such as societal stereotypes regarding sexual violence. The findings suggest that victims experience various, but primarily individual, barriers to help-seeking and that these barriers do not strongly differ between help-seekers and non-help-seekers. This study highlights the importance of addressing barriers to help-seeking on an organizational and societal level to encourage help-seeking.

The relationship between childhood gender nonconformity, aversive childhood experiences, and mental health in heterosexual and non-heterosexual cisgender men: Thebuffering effect of sense of coherence.

Childhood gender nonconformity (CGNC) seems to be associated with more mental health problems in adulthood. Previous research has suggested that this link might be mediated via the increased risk for aversive childhood experiences (ACEs) as a negative social reaction to CGNC. However, no study yet examined the role of resilience factors in this relationship. The present study aims to address this gap by examining the potential buffering effect of sense of coherence (SOC). In a German sample of 371 cisgender men, we used mediation models to investigate the relationship between CGNC, ACEs, and mental health problems in adulthood, that is, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and suicidal behavior. We then employed moderated mediation models to examine the buffering effect of SOC on the association ACEs and mental health problems. The results showed that higher levels of CGNC were associated with more severe adult mental health problems, with this link being partially mediated by higher levels of ACEs. For depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior in the last 12months, we found evidence of a buffering effect of SOC. Higher levels of SOC were associated with a weaker association between ACEs and mental health problems. In contrast, this effect was absent for loneliness and lifetime suicidal behavior. Our study provides evidence that ACEs partly account for the relationship between CGNC and mental health in adulthood. Moreover, we found support for SOC having a buffering effect on this link. Future studies need to examine whether SOC might be an important target for resilience training in those experiencing CGNC. However, sustainable interventions may rather address the negative social reactions to CGNC.

Comparing Negative Social Reactions to Sexual and Non-sexual Crimes: An Experimental Study with a Japanese Sample

This study compared negative social reactions and blame among victims of sexual crimes and non-sexual crimes. Vignettes that varied in nature (sexual or non-sexual) and method (violence or intoxication) of crime were randomly assigned to Japanese-speaking respondents. After reading the vignettes, they answered items regarding negative social reactions to victims and blame toward victims and perpetrators. A web-based survey was conducted, and 690 participants completed the questionnaire. The results revealed that respondents who read sexual crime vignettes did not report more negative social reactions or blame than those who read non-sexual crime vignettes. However, respondents who read vignettes describing crimes using violence attributed more blame to victims, and reported a higher possibility of negative social reactions of stigma and distraction than those who read the vignettes that described crime using intoxication. Additionally, female respondents attributed more blame to both victim and perpetrator and exhibited lower negative social reactions. In summary, the results suggest that victims of sexual crimes were not attributed more blame or negative social reactions than those of non-sexual crimes. It suggests that the protection of victims of sexual crimes may be improved by developing general crime victim policies, rather than specialized policies for victims of sexual crimes.Journal instruction requires a city for affiliations; however, this is missing in Affiliation 1. Please verify if the provided city is correct and amend if necessary.It is correct. Thank you.

Exploring Correlates of Social Reactions to Disclosure Among Latina Sexual Assault Survivors.

Social reactions to sexual assault (SA) disclosure are well-documented in the literature, but less is known about disclosure and reactions received by Latina survivors. The current study analyzed correlates of positive and negative social reactions to sexual assault disclosure in a community sample of Latina survivors (n = 239). Compared to White survivors, Latina survivors were more likely to report turning against and acknowledgement without support reactions. Among Latina survivors, contrary to hypotheses, both "stereotypical" (e.g. more violent assaults) and "non-stereotypical" (e.g. pre-assault substance use) assault characteristics were associated with acknowledgement without support negative social reactions. Furthermore, total number of sources Latina survivors disclosed to were associated with turning against social reactions. Implications for future research on disclosure/social reactions and Latina survivors are discussed.

"His Main Problem Was Not Being in a Relationship With God": Perceptions of Depression, Help-Seeking, and Treatment in Evangelical Christianity.

Some Christian communities may understand mental illness as the result of spiritual causes, such as sin, demons, or a lack of faith. Such perceptions are likely to influence how Christian individuals conceptualise and experience their mental health and enact help-seeking behaviours. This study explores perceptions of depression and mental health help-seeking in evangelical Christianity by using a novel qualitative story completion task. A convenience sample of 110 Christian participants from the United Kingdom completed a third-person, fictional story stem featuring a male with depression who entered his local church. A contextualist-informed thematic analysis illustrated how the disclosure of depression was represented as eliciting negative social reactions, potentially rendering individuals with depression as socially dislocated. Stories suggested that, increasingly, evangelical Christians may perceive a spiritualisation of mental illness, which negates reference to psychological, social, and biomedical representations, as unhelpful. Findings reveal the risks of a solely spiritual aetiology of depression and highlight how existing mental ill-health can be exacerbated if fundamentalist beliefs and approaches to therapeutic care are prioritised over holistic models of care. Methodologically, this study demonstrates the value of a rarely-used tool in psychology—the story completion task—for examining socio-cultural discourses and dominant meanings surrounding stigmatised topics or populations.

“It Made Me so Vulnerable”: Victim-blaming and Disbelief of Child Sexual Abuse as Triggers of Social Exclusion Leading Women to Homelessness

ABSTRACT Although the association between child sexual abuse (CSA) and homelessness among women is well documented, few studies have investigated this topic from a feminist standpoint, examining the impact of sociocultural factors such as rape culture. Based on a qualitative life course approach, individual interviews were conducted with 21 women who experienced both CSA and homelessness. Participants were between 29 to 60 years old (M = 45 years of age). Analyses revealed that CSA disclosure experiences were characterized by victim-blaming and disbelief. Women’s traumatic experiences were further aggravated by these types of reactions. Finally, CSA and negative social reactions to women’s disclosures of CSA were perceived as the onset of social exclusion, which lead to their homelessness. This study shows how traumatic CSA experiences and negative social reactions to their disclosure can both contribute to social exclusion and isolation, and to homelessness through the internalization of rape myths. These findings support the importance of focusing on CSA prevention to reduce social exclusion and homelessness.