Communicating Abuse With Interpersonal Network Ties (INTs): An Exploratory Network Analysis of Women's Willingness for Disclosure

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects one in three women in the United States, with lesser women reporting it or seeking support from services. Yet, most IPV research attempts to understand abuse after an episode of violence. This exploratory work is driven by the need for a network-based entry point to IPV prevention that underscores the role of women's perceived social support. Therefore, we ask "who women will likely talk to?" in the future to understand their willingness for disclosure of abuse to advance research line that preemptively addresses the gaps in IPV interventions. To do so, we draw from the help-seeking frameworks for survivors of abuse to explore the structural network effects on the relationship between social support, mental health, and (willingness for) disclosure. The cross-sectional survey results found partial support for the effects of the number of female interpersonal network ties (INTs), and lasting effects of respondent perceptions for an IPV-tailored social support found a greater statistical support for predicting willingness for disclosure. Moderating effects of IPV stigma were also significant. The implications of these findings for theoretical advancement, future research, and IPV network interventions are discussed, while considering the limitations of the current undertaking.