Women’s disclosure of college sexual assault: Greek-life status does not influence disclosure

Abstract

Objective: Due to high prevalence rates of sexual assault among college-aged women and the benefits of disclosure (e.g., emotional well-being), it remains important to consider barriers to disclosure. The current paper aimed to examine if barriers to disclosure may be more salient to sorority women. Participants: We examined differences in rates of hypothetical willingness to formally disclose (N = 693) and actual formal/informal disclosure (N = 584) as well as mental health as a function of Greek-life status among college women. Method: Two separate online surveys were administered (October, 2016; January, 2017), respectively. Results: Findings suggest no significant differences in rates of hypothetical or actual formal/informal disclosure as a function of Greek-life status; however, Greek-life members reported lower mental health. Conclusion: Findings from the current studies suggest that institutional factors (e.g., campus climate) may serve as a barrier to disclosure. Limitations and future directions in this important area are discussed.