Disclosure Intentions of Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence among Youth in China: A Health Belief Model Perspective

Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) is an emerging social issue that can cause multifaceted harm to victims. Survivors often delay or avoid disclosure due to various barriers. This study used the health belief model to examine perceptions of TFSV and disclosure intention among 401 young Chinese adults through an online survey design. For informal disclosure to close associates, perceived benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy were positively associated with disclosure intention, while perceived susceptibility had a negative association. For formal disclosure to authorities, intention was accounted for by perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and informal disclosure intention. Self-efficacy was the strongest predictor for both informal and formal disclosure intentions. Conversely, perceived severity and perceived barriers were not associated with either type of disclosure intention. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing vulnerable populations’ confidence to disclose in an open and tolerant social environment.