{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T22:10:57Z","timestamp":1790287857528,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"15-16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]],"date-time":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1639353600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000155","name":"The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000155","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Violence Against Women"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>While sexual violence against women has gained attention in sub-Saharan Africa, research examining help-seeking remains limited. Scholarship on barriers to help-seeking among sexually abused married or cohabiting women is particularly lacking. We used the barriers model and held 15 in-depth interviews with sexually abused Ghanaian married or cohabiting women to examine help-seeking behaviors. Participants identified multiple barriers to help-seeking, including financial difficulties, lack of social support, and stigma. The results corroborate the barriers model's formulation of the challenges faced by female survivors in reporting violence. They indicate the need to improve laws to promote help-seeking among women with experiences of sexual violence.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/10778012211060861","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]],"date-time":"2021-12-13T23:54:31Z","timestamp":1639439671000},"page":"3844-3864","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":28,"title":["Barriers to Help-Seeking for Sexual Violence Among Married or Cohabiting Women in Ghana"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5503-3200","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gervin A.","family":"Apatinga","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6127-3799","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eric Y.","family":"Tenkorang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sociology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X10371800"},{"key":"bibr2-10778012211060861","first-page":"75","volume":"27","author":"Adu-Gyamfi E.","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Law, Policy, & Globalization"},{"key":"bibr3-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Agbitor K. A. F. U. I. (2012).\n                      Addressing domestic violence cases in Ghana: A study of the practice methodologies of Accra regional DOVVSU\n                      [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Ghana."},{"key":"bibr4-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10896-020-00168-y"},{"key":"bibr5-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2004.04.001"},{"key":"bibr6-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1179\/0024363914Z.00000000087"},{"key":"bibr7-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260517689886"},{"key":"bibr8-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Apatinga G. A. (2019).\n                      \u201cSuffering in silence\u201d: a qualitative inquiry of sexual violence against married women in Ghana\n                      [Master's thesis]. Memorial University of Newfoundland."},{"key":"bibr9-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1079063220910728"},{"key":"bibr10-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/socpro\/spw012"},{"key":"bibr11-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Benoit C., Shumka L., Phillips R., Kennedy M. C., Belle-Isle L. M. (2015). Issue brief: Sexual violence against women in Canada. Status of Women Canada, 33."},{"key":"bibr12-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260509331493"},{"key":"bibr13-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0269758015591931"},{"key":"bibr14-10778012211060861","volume-title":"Conducting in-depth interviews: A guide for designing and conducting in-depth interviews for evaluation input","author":"Boyce C.","year":"2006"},{"key":"bibr15-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"bibr16-10778012211060861","volume-title":"Sexual assault in Canada, 2004 and 2007.","author":"Brennan S.","year":"2008"},{"key":"bibr17-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0886109914563156"},{"key":"bibr18-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0191663"},{"key":"bibr19-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1077801207308259"},{"key":"bibr20-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Garc\u00eda-Moreno C., Jansen H. A. F. M., Ellsberg M., Heise L., Watts C. (2005). WHO multi-country study on women's Health and domestic violence against women (pp. 1\u201318). World Health Organization, Vol. 204."},{"key":"bibr21-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Gender Studies and Human Right Documentation Centre (2015). Facts on violence against women in Ghana. Retrieved from www.gendercentreghana.org"},{"key":"bibr22-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Ghana Statistical Service (2013).\n                      2010 population and housing report: Regional analytical report, Eastern region\n                      . Retrieved from http:\/\/www.statsghana.gov.gh\/docfiles\/2010phc\/2010_PHC_Regional_Analytical_Reports_Upper_East%20Region.pdf"},{"key":"bibr23-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Ghana Statistical Service (2014).\n                      2010 population and housing report: District analytical report, Lower Manya Krobo Municipal\n                      . Retrieved from http:\/\/www.statsghana.gov.gh\/docfiles\/2010_District_Report\/Eastern\/LOWER%20MANYA%20KROBO.pdf"},{"key":"bibr24-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1547-5069.2009.01305.x"},{"issue":"4","key":"bibr25-10778012211060861","first-page":"485","volume":"34","author":"Grigsby N.","year":"1997","journal-title":"Training (new York, N Y )"},{"key":"bibr26-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/10778010122182839"},{"key":"bibr27-10778012211060861","volume-title":"Domestic violence in Ghana: Incidence, attitudes, determinants and consequences","author":"Institute of Development Studies, Ghana Statistical Services and Associates [IDI, GSS &amp; Associates]","year":"2016"},{"key":"bibr28-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Issahaku P. A. (2012).\n                      Male partner violence against women in northern Ghana: Its dimensions and health policy implications\n                      [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Toronto."},{"key":"bibr29-10778012211060861","first-page":"149","volume-title":"World report on violence and health","author":"Jewkes R.","year":"2002"},{"key":"bibr30-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1816383110000251"},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr31-10778012211060861","first-page":"662","volume":"46","author":"Kidman R.","year":"2016","journal-title":"International Journal of Epidemiology"},{"key":"bibr32-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-017-0453-4"},{"key":"bibr33-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10464-005-6233-6"},{"issue":"4","key":"bibr34-10778012211060861","first-page":"489","volume":"81","author":"Luce H.","year":"2010","journal-title":"American Family Physician"},{"key":"bibr35-10778012211060861","first-page":"173","author":"Odette F.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sexual Assault in Canada"},{"key":"bibr36-10778012211060861","unstructured":"Ofstehage A., Gandhi A., Sholk J., Radday A., Stanzler C. (2011). Empowering victims of domestic violence. Social issue report. Retrieved from. http:\/\/www.rootcause.org\/docs\/Resources\/Research\/Empowering-Victims-of-Domestic-Violence\/Empowering%20Victims%20of%20Domestic%20Violence-%20Social%20Issue%20Report.pdf"},{"key":"bibr37-10778012211060861","volume-title":"The labour market in Ghana: A descriptive analysis of the labour market component of the Ghana living standards survey (V)","author":"Otoo K. N.","year":"2009"},{"key":"bibr38-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-016-3060-7"},{"key":"bibr39-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1077801208328005"},{"key":"bibr40-10778012211060861","volume-title":"Sexual abuse of young children in Southern Africa","author":"Richter L. 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Retrieved from http:\/\/www.who.int\/mediacentre\/factsheets\/fs239\/en\/ on 15\/08\/2017"},{"key":"bibr58-10778012211060861","volume-title":"Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women: Taking action and generating evidence","volume":"94","author":"World Health Organization, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine","year":"2010"},{"key":"bibr59-10778012211060861","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4314\/ejhd.v24i1.62943"}],"container-title":["Violence Against Women"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/10778012211060861","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/10778012211060861","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/10778012211060861","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]],"date-time":"2026-05-02T01:55:11Z","timestamp":1777686911000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/10778012211060861"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]]},"references-count":59,"journal-issue":{"issue":"15-16","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/10778012211060861"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/10778012211060861","relation":{},"ISSN":["1077-8012","1552-8448"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1077-8012","type":"print"},{"value":"1552-8448","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]]}}}