#WhyIDidntReport my sexual violence and its effect on social support

An analysis of social media posts using the #WhyIDidntReport hashtag reveals six themes regarding the reasons why survivors of sexual violence do not report the incident to health or social organisations such as police or supervisors. Using just-world theory as a means to examine social reactions to posts of victim's stories, we suggest the reasons for not reporting could be divided into clusters of internal or external barriers. Within the first cluster, three themes reflect survivors who did not report because of external reasons (e.g. victim blaming by the police or other institutions; minimisation of the seriousness of the crime; and reporting costs). In the second cluster, three themes reflect survivors who did not report because of internal reasons (e.g. self-blame, protecting others, and naivety). We find that survivors who did not report sexual violence because of external reasons received significantly more social support, whereas survivors who did not report because of internal reasons received significantly less social support in the form of shares and likes. Overall, these findings support our theorising that the reasons why survivors do not report sexual violence are impactful because, consistent with just-world theorising, they change perceptions of victimhood and therefore the level of social support.

Making Visible the Myths About Cyber-Sexual Violence Against Women: An Analysis of Social Reactions Toward Victims on Twitter

Cyber-sexual violence is a prevalent and harmful form of aggression committed against women, yet little attention has been paid to the attitudes about cyber-sexual violence. This research therefore aimed to explore the negative attitudes or myths that serve to justify, minimize, and deny the experiences of cyber-sexual violence disclosed by women on Twitter. Using a thematic analysis, we analyzed 4,048 replies to 18 experiences reported on Twitter around the time of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. After the data were cleaned and coded, the results revealed 18 myths about cyber-sexual violence, grouped into four main themes: (1) minimization/conceptualization, (2) victim blaming, (3) factors related to the diffusion context, and (4) exonerating the perpetrator's responsibility. This study constitutes the first attempt to analyze the myths surrounding cyber-sexual violence on Twitter, including content areas not yet addressed in the literature, such as contextual factors. Strikingly, most of the analyzed reactions appeared to deny and downplay the importance of sexually aggressive behaviors perpetrated against women online, suggesting that these beliefs could influence the underreporting of cyber-sexual violence. Based on these data, it was concluded that while Twitter can serve as a useful "loudspeaker" for victims, it is also a mechanism by which myths about cyber-sexual violence can be supported and disseminated. Finally, it highlights the importance to consider the influence of online cultural frame on the social perception of cyber-sexual violence and point out the specific beliefs that educators, researches and psychologist could work though psychoeducational programs.

The societal impact of Open Science: a scoping review

Open Science (OS) aims, in part, to drive greater societal impact of academic research. Government, funder and institutional policies state that it should further democratize research and increase learning and awareness, evidence-based policy-making, the relevance of research to society's problems, and public trust in research. Yet, measuring the societal impact of OS has proven challenging and synthesized evidence of it is lacking. This study fills this gap by systematically scoping the existing evidence of societal impact driven by OS and its various aspects, including Citizen Science (CS), Open Access (OA), Open/FAIR Data (OFD), Open Code/Software and others. Using the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews and searches conducted in Web of Science, Scopus and relevant grey literature, we identified 196 studies that contain evidence of societal impact. The majority concern CS, with some focused on OA, and only a few addressing other aspects. Key areas of impact found are education and awareness, climate and environment, and social engagement. We found no literature documenting evidence of the societal impact of OFD and limited evidence of societal impact in terms of policy, health, and trust in academic research. Our findings demonstrate a critical need for additional evidence and suggest practical and policy implications.

Understanding Sexual Assault Survivors’ Perspectives on Archiving Qualitative Data: Implications for Feminist Approaches to Open Science

The open science movement has framed data sharing as necessary and achievable best practices for high-quality science. Feminist psychologists have complicated that narrative by questioning the purpose of data sharing across different paradigms, methodologies, and research populations. In these debates, the academic community has centered the needs and voices of researchers, and participants’ perspectives are largely missing from this literature. In this study, we sought to understand how research participants feel about sharing qualitative data on a sensitive subject—sexual victimization. As part of a participatory action research project, we conducted qualitative interviews with sexual assault survivors about their post-assault help-seeking experiences. The federal funding agency that supported this project requires researchers to archive de-identified data in a national data repository (the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data [NACJD]). All participants consented to archiving data, and the vast majority expressed positive views about data sharing because they wanted to help other survivors. Participants emphasized that our participatory action research approach and our stated goal of helping survivors were important considerations in their decisions regarding data sharing. Researchers should obtain informed consent from their participants for data sharing/archiving, and discuss their dissemination plans during the informed consent process.

Online Conversations About Abuse: Responses to IPV Survivors from Support Communities

Purpose

Intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts the lives of millions, damaging survivors and families. Many survivors are unsure how to get help, and have limited access to resources. In recent years, those affected by IPV have turned online for answers, support, and to share their experiences. This study examined the online dialogue between survivors of violence and those who respond to their posts.

Method

Data consisted of 451 responses to IPV survivors on the website Reddit in a domestic violence subgroup. Responses were analyzed using a combination of grounded theory coding techniques with content analysis tools to generate categories and subcategories.

Results

Three main categories emerged from the data, including support, sharing experiences, and sharing information. The subcategories included specific types of help, advice, understanding, and were overwhelmingly positive in their tone and content.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that online forums may help bridge the gap between survivors and resources. Professionals who work with IPV or create policies can use these findings to understand how to help survivors find support. This may include encouraging survivors to connect with informal supports such as family and friends, or access formal support such as hotlines, therapy, or legal counsel. The findings also suggest that more research is needed to understand what types of questions survivors of violence have, and what outcomes result from online support.