Sexual offense victims' responses to the question #WhyIDidntReport? Examining restorative justice as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine barriers to reporting sexual offenses as reflected in texts by victims who participated in the #WhyIDidntReport protest that revolved around the reasons for not reporting sexual offenses. Content analysis was used to analyze 95 public posts of Israeli victims published on social media. The findings revealed two main barrier dimensions—personal and social—each comprising several main themes. The most common barrier in the personal dimension was difficulty naming or labeling the experience as a sexual offense to begin with. The most prominent barriers in the social dimension were the power gap between offender and victim, and concern with others' reactions. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings from the perspectives of alternative dispute resolution, with focus on restorative justice as an optional platform for victims.