Topic: Research News
Researchers at George Mason University are working with young survivors of sexual violence to understand how they can be helped earlier. They believe that prevention is key and want to involve young people in creating solutions.
Rochelle Davidson Mhonde, an assistant professor at the College of Public Health, started working with adolescent survivors of sexual violence. She saw the ripple effects of their trauma: depression, anxiety, substance use, and other health challenges. The survivors often know what support they need to heal, but when they don't receive it, the consequences can be severe.
Mhonde began studying the families, communities, cultural beliefs, and institutional access that influence whether survivors feel safe speaking up. She went 'upstream' to understand why some young people disclose their trauma while others don't. Across the College of Public Health, faculty are approaching this question from different angles: How can we intervene earlier, when prevention has the greatest potential to make a difference?
Rima Nakkash, a professor and chair at GCH, said that traditionally most prevention approaches are built around what adults believe young people need. But now, researchers are asking young people themselves to help create solutions. 'Young people know best what works for them and what doesn't,' she said. They can bring in their lived experience to inform interventions that will improve their health.
One ongoing project is examining why LGBTQ+ young adults vape at higher rates than their peers. The research points to experiences like discrimination and rejection that increase stress and make vaping more likely as a coping mechanism. Participants said, 'The first thing they said was,
Implications
Researchers at George Mason University are working with young survivors of sexual violence to understand how they can be helped earlier. They believe that prevention is key and want to involve young people in creating solutions.
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