Sexual violence, in the form of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, affects more than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 4 men in the United States (Black). The study done by Ahren, identifies the disclosure patterns for victims of sexual assault both immediately and over time and its effects on physical and mental health outcomes. This study identified four distinct disclosure patterns. The group that experienced the most symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress was the nondisclosure group. “This is consistent with research suggesting that nondisclosure is associated with poorer psychological health while disclosure is associated with more positive psychological health” (Ahren, page 642). The Ahren study suggests that disclosure is an important component in minimizing negative mental health outcomes of victims.
Research indicates that rape is significantly underreported to the police. Of the victims who disclose, “””43.3% of reports resulted in
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In a research study conducted by Bonta et. al., a sample of offenders who were likely to be imprisoned, they had their cases diverted to a Restorative Justice program. It is important to again note that domestic and sexual violence offenders were excluded from this study. This study found that there were significantly lower rates of recidivism among the participants in the Restorative Justice program in comparison to their probationary counterparts. It is suggested that the most strongly correlated variables to lower recidivism rates were victim impact statements, restitution, and community service. Researchers infer that the “restitution and community service agreements emanating from Restorative Resolutions was a voluntary and collaborative effort between victim, offender, and the community organizations that participated (page ???)” had the greatest impact in reducing recidivism