Psychosocial correlates of alcohol-specific negative social reactions in alcohol-involved sexual assault survivor-informal support dyads.

OBJECTIVE

Past research shows that negative alcohol-specific social reactions to disclosures of alcohol-involved sexual assaults negatively impact survivor recovery. However, less is known about both survivor and informal support provider (SP) correlates of these reactions.

METHOD: The present study explored correlates of alcohol-specific social reactions that a community sample of racially diverse sexual assault survivors reported receiving from their SP (N = 204 dyads) upon disclosure. Regression models examined survivor and SP correlates of survivor-reported negative alcohol-specific social reactions received from their SP.

RESULTS

Some demographic (e.g., race/ethnicity, education), assault history and index assault characteristics (e.g., child sexual abuse severity, alcohol/drug impairment, perpetrator force, postassault upset), disclosure, and survivor-SP relationship factors (e.g., disclosure characteristics, relationship type, and satisfaction) were related to negative alcohol-specific social reactions. In addition, several SP variables (e.g., SP rape myth acceptance, SP substance use in their past sexual assault, SP perception of survivor coping, and SP positive behaviors toward survivor) and recovery outcomes (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use coping, problem drinking) were also related to negative alcohol-specific social reactions to survivor sexual assault disclosures.

CONCLUSIONS

Implications are drawn for future research and intervention with survivors and their informal SPs to reduce negative social reactions to alcohol-involved assaults. Education and training are needed for informal SPs to reduce their negative alcohol-specific social reactions to alcohol-involved assault disclosures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).