Help-Seeking Behavior for Intimate Partner Violence Among Students Attending a Historically Black College and University

Background: Recently, there has been an upsurge in research on the help-seeking behavior of college student populations who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) as means for developing college-based IPV prevention programming. Almost exclusively, this research has focused on the help-seeking behavior of college students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Less is known, however, about the help-seeking behavior of college student populations attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In light of research indicating that Black college students face heightened risks of IPV, it has become critically important to understand the help-seeking behavior of students enrolled at HBCUs. Thus, the primary objectives of this study were to examine the rates of formal and informal help-seeking behavior and associations between types of IPV and help-seeking behaviors in a sample of undergraduate college students enrolled at an HBCU.

Methods: Data were collected of college students (N = 275) in fall 2021 using a one-site cross-sectional survey design and non-probability sampling technique. Of the 275 participants, most participants identified as Black (N=241; 87.6%), female (N = 232; 86.2%), and heterosexual (N= 214; 80.8%). Students’ experiences of IPV were measured using the 20-item Conflict Tactic Scale 2 Short Form. Formal help-seeking behavior was assessed by asking individuals who reported experiencing IPV, “how many times have you reported the experience or these experiences to the police? And how many times have you told a doctor, nurse, social worker, counselor, or other professional about the experience or these experiences.” Similarly, informal help-seeking behavior was assessed by asking how often they disclosed the experience/experiences to a family member/friend and a trusted person (e.g., mentors and religious leaders). Descriptive statistics were conducted to examine the rates of IPV help-seeking behavior and Chi-square statistics were used to examine associations between IPV experience (IPV victimization, IPV perpetration, or co-experience of victimization and perpetration) and help-seeking behavior.

Results: The majority of the participants reported at least one incidence of IPV victimization (73.0%), IPV perpetration (76.4%), and both IPV victimization and perpetration (67.4%) in the past 12 months. However, only 20.7% sought help at least one time from police, and 28.6% sought help at least one time from other health professionals. Conversely, 90.9% sought help from their family or friends, and 78.9% sought help from someone they trusted. Chi-square analyses revealed no associations between any type of IPV experience and formal help-seeking behavior and no associations between IPV perpetration and informal help seeking behavior. IPV victimization and co-occurring IPV victimization and perpetration were associated with informal help-seeking from family or friends and informal help-seeking from a trusted person.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings from this study confirm the importance of informal helping systems being essential focus points for college based IPV intervention and prevention efforts. IPV prevention efforts should promote both formal and informal help seeking, including educating HBCU college student populations and the broader community on appropriate strategies for providing assistance and informing them of the availability of campus-based services, and professional services external to the university.