Nassar’s sexual abuse of Olympic athletes: insights on primary and secondary victim impact statements

Although research on secondary victims has increased during the past decade, few studies have included systematic comparisons of primary and secondary victims. Such comparison is needed given the codependent and intertwined nature of primary and secondary victims’ experiences, effects and healing processes. This study used mix methods to identify diversity in victim impact statements (VISs) delivered by primary and secondary victims of Nassar’s sexual abuse case. VISs were compared from 107 primary victims and 26 secondary victims. A grounded theory content analysis of the 133 VISs resulted in four main areas for quantitative comparison: how victims referred to the offender, described their relations with the offender and the crime perpetrated, presented crime’s impacts, and perceived the legal proceedings in which they participated. The quantitative analysis using chi-square tests demonstrated statistically significant differences in how primary and secondary victims addressed the offender and his manipulations, the crime’s short- and long-term impacts, and the legal proceedings. The statistically significant differences found in this study highlight the need to understand and further explore diversity in experiences, effects and recovery processes that cater to primary and secondary victims of sexual abuse.