African American females are statistically underrepresented on most college campuses, but are at greater risk of sexual assault in comparison to students of other ethnicities. This paradox is influenced by various factors that affect disclosure following an on-campus assault amongst African American females. It is hypothesized that the low disclosure rate of sexual traumatization within the African American community (Ullman & Filipas, 2001) extends to the African American female student population. Both disclosure and help-seeking are integral components of recovery, however despite the importance of help seeking following a sexual assault, the barriers to disclosure amongst African American female students are numerous and multifaceted. Culturally bound - historical and contemporary - variables that prevent disclosure include stereotypes of African American femininity and sexuality (Tillman, Bryant-Davis, Smith, & Marks, 2010); racism, oppression, and intergenerational trauma (Bryant-Davis & Ocampo, 2006); an unspoken fidelity towards African American male perpetrators based on their chronicled history of false accusations and treatment in the criminal justice system (Tillman et al., 2010); systematic mistrust (e.g., medical, legal, police) due to poor experiences and or fear of revictimization (Washington, 2001); and the “Strong Black Woman” stereotype (Donovan & Williams, 2002). Though no empirical evidence supports differential psychological symptomatology post sexual assault between ethnic groups, one study found that African American female student assault survivors, who experienced a previous sexual trauma, were more apt to experience self-blame, a deleterious correlate of low self-esteem (Tilman et al., 2010), in comparison to White female college students (Neville, Heppner, Oh, Spainerman, & Clark, 2004). This poster represents a critical review of literature pertaining to sexual assault on college campuses for African American female survivors and will examine prevalence, effects, barriers to disclosure, and recovery strategies. Policy implications and methods of restorative justice for African American student survivors will also be explored. References Bryant-Davis, T., & Ocampo, C. (2006). A therapeutic approach to the treatment of racist-incident-based trauma. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 6, 1-22. Donovan, R. & Williams, M. (2002). Living at the intersection: The effects of racism and sexism on Black rape survivors. Women & Therapy, 25, 95-105. Neville, H., Heppner, M., Oh, E., Spainerman, L., & Clark, M. (2004). General and culturally specific factors influencing Black and White rape survivors’ self-esteem. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28, 83-94. Tillman, S., Bryant-Davis, T., Smith, K., & Marks, A. (2010). Shattering silence: Exploring barriers to disclosure for African American sexual assault survivors.Trauma, violence, & abuse, 11(2), 59-70. Ullman, S. E., & Filipas, H. H. (2001). Predictors of PTSD symptom severity and social reactions in sexual assault victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14, 369-389. Washington, P. A. (2001). Disclosure patterns of Black female sexual assault survivors. Violence Against Women, 7, 1254-1283.