Disclosure of Sexual Assault Among Sexual and Gender Minorities: A Systematic Literature Review
Abstract
Sexual assault is common in sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, but few studies have examined SGM victims’ disclosure experiences. This systematic review identified 13 studies through searches of research databases on SGM populations with sexual victimization. These studies showed wide variation in disclosure rates, various barriers to disclosure, and psychological impacts of social reactions to disclosure on SGM individuals. Bisexual women were more likely to disclose to formal (e.g., police, healthcare providers) and informal (e.g., friends, family members) sources than other women, and SGM victims disclose to mental health professionals at particularly high rates. Sexual and gender minority victims also reported numerous barriers to disclosure, including those unique to SGM individuals (e.g., fear of being outed). Impacts of negative social reactions appear to be more negative on psychological symptoms of SGM victims, whereas positive reactions are helpful to recovery. Future research is needed taking an intersectional perspective to studying disclosure and social reactions to SGM individuals from both college and community samples, by examining both sexual minority and racial/ethnic identities in the context of intersectional minority stress theory. Studies are needed of both correlates and consequences of disclosures to both informal and formal support sources to better understand SGM individuals’ reasons for telling and not telling various support sources and the impacts of their disclosure experiences on their recovery. Such data is also needed to inform interventions seeking to identify and intervene with support network members and professionals to reduce negative social reactions and their psychosocial impacts and to increase positive social reactions and general social support from informal support sources.
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Men in particular are afraid of experiencing stigmatization and being perceived as a victim or labeled as "unmanly", weak, or gay.
“For example, as previous research on sexual victimization suggests, men in particular are afraid of experiencing stigmatization and being perceived as a victim or labeled as “unmanly”, weak, or gay (Alaggia, 2005; Edwards et al., 2023).”
From Why They Speak Up (or Don’t): Reasons For and Against Cybergrooming Disclosure Among Adolescent Victims (2025) · cites this paper as Edwards et al., 2023
Previous research suggests that there are reasons against disclosure of sexual victimization that are unique to sexual and gender minorities, such as fear of shedding negative light on the LGBTQ+ community or being "outed".
“However, previous research suggests that there are reasons against disclosure of sexual victimization that are unique to sexual and gender minorities, such as fear of shedding negative light on the LGBTQ+ community or being “outed” (Edwards et al., 2023).”
From Why They Speak Up (or Don’t): Reasons For and Against Cybergrooming Disclosure Among Adolescent Victims (2025) · cites this paper as Edwards et al., 2023
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“However, previous research suggests that there are reasons against disclosure of sexual victimization that are unique to sexual and gender minorities, such as fear of shedding negative light on the LGBTQ + community or being “ outed ” (Edwards et al., 2023).”
- Authors
- Edwards, K. M., Mauer, V. A., Huff, M., Farquhar-Leicester, A., Sutton, T. E., & Ullman, S. E.
- Affiliations
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US)
- Mississippi State University (US)
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Edwards, Katie M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Trauma, Violence, & Abuse
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2022-04-10
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 1608-1623
- ISSN
- 1524-8380 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-8324
- OpenAlex
- W4223428968
- Cited by
- 97
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 5
- FWCI
- 5.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trauma Violence & Abuse (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Keywords
- sexual assault, sexual and gender minorities, disclosure, barriers to disclosure, bisexual women, mental health professionals, social support, psychological recovery, disclosure rates
- MeSH terms
- Sexual and Gender Minorities, Female, Humans, Sexual Behavior, Sex Offenses, Crime Victims, Disclosure
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