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Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 452-2 Filed 11/12/21 Page 37 of 45 Getion PUBLISHING me EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF C= PSYCHOTRAUMATOLOGY CLINICAL RESEARCH ARTICLE Predictors of delayed disclosure of rape in female adolescents and young adults Iva A. E. Bicanic'*, Lieve M. Hehenkamp’, Elise M. van de Putte?, Arjen J. van Wijk® and Ad de Jongh** ‘National Psychotraumacenter for Children and Youth, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht The Netherlands; ?Department of Paediatrics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; ’Department of Behavioral Sciences, ACTA, University of Amsterdam and VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; “School of Health Sciences, Salford University, Manchester, United Kingdom Background: Delayed disclosure of rape has been associated with impaired mental health; it is, therefore, important to understand which factors are associated with disclosure latency. The purpose of this study was to compare various demographics, post rape characteristics, and psychological functioning of early and delayed disclosers (i.e., more than 1 week post rape) among rape victims, and to determine predictors for delayed disclosure. Methods: Data were collected using a structured interview and validated questionnaires in a sample of 323 help seeking female adolescents and young adults (12 25 years), who were victimized by rape, but had no reported prior chronic child sexual abuse. Resutits: In 59% of the cases, disclosure occurred within 1 week. Delayed disclosers were less likely to use medical services and to report to the police than early disclosers. No significant differences were found between delayed and early disclosers in psychological functioning and time to seek professional help. The combination of age category 12 17 years [odds ratio (OR) 2.05, confidence intervals (CI) 1.13 3.73], penetration (OR 2.36, CI 1.25 4.46), and closeness to assailant (OR 2.64, CI 1.52 4.60) contributed significantly to the prediction of delayed disclosure. Conclusion: The results point to the need of targeted interventions that specifically encourage rape victims to disclose early, thereby increasing options for access to health and police services. Keywords: Adolescents; young adults; rape; sexual assault; disclosure; latency to disclosure; posttraumatic stress disorder Responsible Editor: Rita Rosner, KU Eichstaett Ingolstadt, Germany. *Correspondence to: Iva A. E. Bicanic, National Psychotrauma Center for Children and Youth, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO. Box 85090, NL 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands, Email: i.a.e.bicanic@umcutrecht.nl For the abstract or full text in other languages, please see Supplementary files under ‘Article Tools’ Received: 31 August 2014; Revised: 30 March 2015; Accepted: 13 April 2015; Published: 11 May 2015 to formal agencies, such as police or mental health services, is uncommon (Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, 2000; Wolitzky-Taylor et al., 2011), especially when the rape has been committed on a date or by an acquaintance and involves the victim’s use of drugs and/or alcohol (Resnick et al., 2000; Wolitzky-Taylor et al., 2011). There is evidence to suggest that victims believe that professionals will not be helpful to them because their rape experience does not match stereotypical conceptions of rape, such as involving a stranger, a weapon, and severe injury (Patterson, Greeson, & Campbell, 2009; Resnick et al., 2000). Accordingly, adolescents and young adults, who are more at risk to be victimized by rape than other age Pees studies have shown that disclosure of rape groups (De Haas, Van Berlo, Bakker, & Vanwesenbeeck, 2012; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2006), may not receive targeted mental health care and may not report the crime to the police (Ruch, Coyne, & Perrone, 2000). For reasons of mental health and public safety, it is important to understand the potential factors that are related to disclosure. Timing of disclosure may be a crucial factor, as early disclosers are more likely to utilize appro- priate medical care and report to the police than delayed disclosers (Ahrens, Stansell, & Jennings, 2010; Ullman & Filipas, 2001). In contrast, adults who wait longer than 1 month to disclose the rape are more likely to suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depres- sion compared to early disclosers (Ruggiero et al., 2004). European Journal of Psychotraumatology 2015. © 2015 lvaA. E. Bicanic et al. This is an Open Access article distriobuted under the terms of the Creative Commons 1 Attrioution 4.0 International License (htto://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material inany medium or format, and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, for any purpose, even commercially, under the condition that appropriate credit is given, that a link to the license is provided, and that you indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. Citation: European Journal of Psychotraumatology 2015, 6: 25883 _http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v6.25883 (page number not for citation purpose) DOJ-OGR-00006872