Demystifying Disclosure: An Investigation of Interpersonal Violence Disclosure Experiences for College Women

Each year, an alarming number of college women are victims of interpersonal violence. In investigating the experiences of college women, the process of disclosure has emerged as an important research focus. Much of the current literature on interpersonal violence disclosure has focused on negative and positive social reactions from informal and formal supports. However, there is a lack of literature understanding how those disclosure reactions are connected to psychological, emotional, and behavioral consequences after the disclosure. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight diverse college women, the present study explores the nuanced ways survivors experience formal and informal disclosures, interpret disclosure reactions, and experience distress and growth. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) following a feminist paradigm, I identified seven themes related to the process of sharing one’s interpersonal violence victimization with others. The themes were organized into two categories that illustrate participants’ disclosure experiences and the psychosocial consequences of disclosure. The findings of this study may be used to inform training for university resource personnel as well as education for individuals within a survivor’s support system.