Understanding rape survivors' decisions not to seek help from formal social systems

Health and Social Work, May, 2009 by Debra Patterson, Megan Greeson, Rebecca Campbell

   But my impression is that when you're in crisis,
   the first 24 to 48 hours, particularly, there are
   services for you.... And even for the person
   like me to feel that you're legitimate to use
   them; I'm not really quite in crisis cause I'm
   not bawling ... it didn't just happen to me, but
   mentally, emotionally, I'm a wreck.

These survivors did not view themselves as being in crisis and, therefore, did not believe they qualified for services. Again, survivors anticipated that the system would not help them and did not seek assistance.

System Cannot Help

Although survivors anticipated that system personnel would not provide them services, they also frequently believed that the systems could not help them. Some survivors did not believe they needed the services provided by these formal social systems. These survivors felt confident that their coping skills were strong enough for them to deal with the rape and chose to handle it on their own. In addition, these survivors did not believe formal social systems would enhance their existing coping skills. Furthermore, they were unclear about how the formal social systems could help them. The primary goal of these survivors was to resume normal life, as suggested by the following survivors:

   But you have to get yourself together and
   move on.

   I just didn't want any problems. I didn't wanna
   talk about it anymore. I just wanted to get myself
   out of the situation and get it behind.

   I knew how to cope with it, you know.... Just
   go wash up, lay down.... You'll be back to
   normal and go on.

However, they believed assistance from the formal social systems would prolong, not alleviate, painful feelings. Thus, survivors believed the formal social systems would hinder, not foster, their recovery process.

Other survivors believed formal social systems, including law enforcement, could not protect them from further harm by their assailants or the assailants' social networks. Survivors expressed fear that the assailant would kill or brutally harm them if they sought help:

   If I could of felt.... If someone'd said, "Yeah,
   you got security."

   I didn't go cause I was scared.... They [assailants]
   already told me what they'd try to do to
   me. They already told me they were gonna cut
   my breasts off.

Furthermore, survivors feared that medical and social service systems would contact law enforcement and force them to report the rape. Survivors believed their safety would be jeopardized if they sought help. Thus, survivors believed it was too risky to seek help from any formal social system.

Self-Protection from Hurtful System Personnel and Processes

In addition to believing that system personnel would or could not help them, survivors also expressed concern that system personnel would mistreatment them in a hurtful manner:

   They're gonna grill me and make me look
   like the bad one.... I didn't wanna deal with
   that. I didn't feel like ... being dragged through
   the coals.

   I just felt like ... nobody was gonna believe me,
   you know. And I was gonna have to say, "Well, I
   was coming from buying drugs." And right then
   and there, you know, they wouldn't of cared. At
   least, I didn't feel they would.

   Because it seems like there were a lot of therapists
   out there, and counselors that really don't
   care as much.

   I heard before like at the hospital, they make
   you feel like it's your fault.