BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence V.E. Pijlman METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20250416T094500 DTEND:20250416T111500 DTSTAMP:20250416T094500 UID:2025/phd-defence-v-e-pijlman@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20250503T185426 LOCATION:(1st floor) Auditorium, Main building De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam SUMMARY:PhD defence V.E. Pijlman X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

Caught in the Web: A St udy of Help-Seeking for Sexual Victimization

Why many victims of sexual violence do not seek help

Many victims of sexual mi sconduct and violence do not seek help. Shame, fear of negative react ions, and simply not knowing where to turn create significant barrier s. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by victimologist and b asic psychologist Valerie Pijlman at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.

Her research provides concrete guidance on making support more ac cessible and breaking down stigmas.

Why don’t victims seek help?

Whether it involves physical violence, suc h as rape, or online abuse, such as the non-consensual distribution o f intimate images, many victims are left to deal with their experienc es alone. 'They feel ashamed, guilty, or afraid they won’t be taken seriously,' Pijlman explains. 'Sometimes they downplay what happened to them or simply don’t know where to go for help.'

For vict ims of online sexual misconduct and abuse, the barriers are even high er. Pijlman’s research shows that they seek help less often than vi ctims of physical violence. 'Victims of online sexual violence are of ten younger. They may think it’s ‘not serious enough’ or fear n egative reactions,' she says. This points to a broader societal issue : the tendency to take online sexual misconduct and abuse less seriou sly.

This can have significant consequences for victims’ well -being. But what actually helps lower the threshold for seeking help?

The power of social support and education

Pijlman’s research shows that victims are more likely to seek he lp when they receive support from their surroundings or want to regai n control over their situation. Education also plays a crucial role. 'By improving sex education and increasing awareness of available sup port options, we may be able to guide victims to the right resources more quickly,' she says.

A striking aspect of her research focu ses on social media. Pijlman tested which messages were most effectiv e in motivating victims to visit a support organization’s website u sing Snapchat ads. 'Young people often feel safer with anonymous onli ne support services. By reaching them where they already are, such as on social media, we can lower the barrier to seeking help. Ads that explicitly stated that the victim was not to blame for what happened received a lot of interaction,' Pijlman explains. 'This highlights ho w important it is to reassure victims and break the stigma surroundin g sexual violence, which often fuels victim blaming.'

F rom research to action

Pijlman’s findings align with ongoing societal discussions, such as the introduction of the new Se xual Offenses Act. Her research underscores the importance of accessi ble support services and stigma-breaking campaigns. 'We need to ensur e that victims feel supported and know where to turn. This can be ach ieved through better sex education in schools, targeted online campai gns, and anonymous support services, making it safer for victims to s eek help. Only by lowering these barriers can we ensure that victims feel heard and supported - both online and offline.; 

Thro ugh her research, Pijlman contributes to a better understanding of he lp-seeking behavior and offers concrete recommendations for professio nals to better support victims of sexual misconduct and violence.

More information on the

DESCRIPTION:

Why many victims of sexual violence do not seek help< /h3> Many victims of sexual misconduct and violence do not seek help. Shame, fear of negative reactions, and simply not knowing where to t urn create significant barriers. This is the conclusion of a study co nducted by victimologist and basic psychologist Valerie Pijlman at Vr ije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research provides concrete guidance o n making support more accessible and breaking down stigmas. W hy don’t victims seek help? Whether it involves physical v iolence, such as rape, or online abuse, such as the non-consensual di stribution of intimate images, many victims are left to deal with the ir experiences alone. 'They feel ashamed, guilty, or afraid they won� ��t be taken seriously,' Pijlman explains. 'Sometimes they downplay w hat happened to them or simply don’t know where to go for help.' Fo r victims of online sexual misconduct and abuse, the barriers are eve n higher. Pijlman’s research shows that they seek help less often t han victims of physical violence. 'Victims of online sexual violence are often younger. They may think it’s ‘not serious enough’ or fear negative reactions,' she says. This points to a broader societal issue: the tendency to take online sexual misconduct and abuse less seriously. This can have significant consequences for victims’ well -being. But what actually helps lower the threshold for seeking help? The power of social support and education Pijlman� �s research shows that victims are more likely to seek help when they receive support from their surroundings or want to regain control ov er their situation. Education also plays a crucial role. 'By improvin g sex education and increasing awareness of available support options , we may be able to guide victims to the right resources more quickly ,' she says. A striking aspect of her research focuses on social medi a. Pijlman tested which messages were most effective in motivating vi ctims to visit a support organization’s website using Snapchat ads. 'Young people often feel safer with anonymous online support service s. By reaching them where they already are, such as on social media, we can lower the barrier to seeking help. Ads that explicitly stated that the victim was not to blame for what happened received a lot of interaction,' Pijlman explains. 'This highlights how important it is to reassure victims and break the stigma surrounding sexual violence, which often fuels victim blaming.' From research to action Pijlman’s findings align with ongoing societal discussions, such as the introduction of the new Sexual Offenses Act. Her researc h underscores the importance of accessible support services and stigm a-breaking campaigns. 'We need to ensure that victims feel supported and know where to turn. This can be achieved through better sex educa tion in schools, targeted online campaigns, and anonymous support ser vices, making it safer for victims to seek help. Only by lowering the se barriers can we ensure that victims feel heard and supported - bot h online and offline.;  Through her research, Pijlman contribute s to a better understanding of help-seeking behavior and offers concr ete recommendations for professionals to better support victims of se xual misconduct and violence. More information on the Caught in the Web: A Study of Help-Seeking for Sexual Victimization END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR