A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Factors that Facilitate Sexual Trauma Disclosure in Black Women in the United States

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe Black women’s lived experiences with disclosure after experiencing sexual trauma in the United States. The theory that guides this study is Black feminist thought (Hill Collins, 1986), as it provides the historical and societal backdrop against which it is necessary to understand sexual violence against Black women and seeks to empower Black women to resist oppression. Utilizing semi-structured interviews, cognitive representations, and journal entries, data was collected from 13 Black women survivors of sexual trauma to answer the following research questions: How do Black women who have experienced sexual trauma describe their experience of disclosure? How do Black women who have experienced sexual trauma describe the facilitators or motivators that led to their disclosure? How do Black women who have experienced sexual trauma describe the impact of disclosure on their well-being? How do Black women who have experienced sexual trauma describe the impact of race and gender on their disclosure experience? Data was analyzed utilizing Moustakas’ (1994) data analysis methods and resulted in five primary themes: Experiences Prior to Disclosure, Impact of Disclosure, Reasons for Disclosure, Hindrances to Disclosure, and Pathways to Disclosure.