Breaking the silence: Social media disclosures of sexual violence in Iceland

Sexual violence victimisation, which is common across the Nordic countries, is connected to several negative outcomes, including anger, anxiety and depressed mood as well as greater risk for delinquency, substance use and suicidal and self-injurious behaviour. Sexual violence is hence an important public health problem with potentially life-altering impact. Disclosures of sexual violence are a key part of sexual violence survivors’ recovery and well-being. Although evidence from the United States suggests that disclosures of violence have various important implications for survivors, little is known about disclosures and social reactions in the Nordic countries. The introduction of social media has also given survivors a new way of sharing experiences such as traumatic events, which is a factor that researchers have not yet explored adequately in the literature. In this chapter, we examine Icelandic social media disclosures of sexual violence and explore the disclosure process, including why survivors disclose and what reactions they receive from others.