How social media can help abuse survivors heal

New research from The University of Texas at Arlington reveals that social media platforms can play a potentially life-saving role for young people navigating difficult circumstances at home.

UT Arlington social work assistant professor Morgan PettyJohn led a study that found that many young adults who experienced child abuse and neglect relied on social media to cope with trauma, access information and connect with others.

“There’s so much being talked about right now with youth and social media, and it’s largely being talked about in a very negative light,” said Dr. PettyJohn, whose study was published in the Journal of Family Violence. “But there are many benefits that kids are using these sites for too—for information-seeking, for connecting, for providing mutual support to one another.”

For the study, the research team first surveyed 641 young adults aged 18 to 21 across the United States. Roughly 30%—196 people—reported experiencing child maltreatment. More than half of that group—111 individuals—responded that they had posted or discussed their experiences with abuse or neglect on a social media platform, with most of these disclosures occurring on platforms that allow for private or direct messaging with other users.

The research team then conducted in-depth interviews with 23 of those individuals. Most of them said that prior to disclosing their own past experiences with abuse or neglect on social media platforms, they found that social media content helped them recognize that their experiences weren’t normal—and motivated them to seek support.

“I was born into (the abuse), right? So this was my normal, this was my everyday,” one participant explained. “The only indication that I had that something wasn’t right was my feelings. And the more that I started to get older, the more that I started to hear other people’s experiences.

“I went, ‘Oh, something about this that I grew up with, I don’t think that’s normal.’ And I feel like (social media channels) helped me kind of understand that a little bit better because that was the hardest part for me, to realize that this wasn’t normal.”

Digital spaces provided participants with a sense of safety, allowing them to connect with others who had endured similar experiences. One participant described their online community as people “who make us feel happy and heard and engaged.” Another said those connections with others were “so deep in helping me that if I couldn’t talk to them anymore, I probably would not have made it out.”

The research also highlighted the practical reasons young adults turn to social platforms. Social media is often more accessible than in-person services due to cost, convenience, and legal restrictions on what resources young people can access without parental involvement.

Many participants also valued the ability to remain anonymous when opening up about traumatic experiences. Mandatory reporting requirements were frequently cited as a reason some chose not to seek in-person help such as school counselors, fearing the loss of control over what would happen next.

“They feel more comfortable talking about hard things through their devices, and they want the option for anonymity,” PettyJohn said.

The study’s findings provide a more nuanced look at social media going forward. Instead of focusing solely on how much time young people spend online, more consideration should be given to how young people are using digital spaces, PettyJohn said.

“We’re not saying there are no risks because there certainly are,” she said. “But our research shows that instead of simply discouraging social media use, we need to think more about how online spaces can be designed to be safe and appropriate for youth to use.”