Multiple Group Membership and Trust Protect Against Distress in the Context of Unwanted Sexual Experiences at a Youth Mass Gathering

Research suggests that belonging to multiple groups and trust separately mitigate psychological distress in response to adversity. However, their combined influence, particularly over time, in the context of unwanted sexual experiences during mass gatherings has not been fully explored. To advance our understanding, we investigated whether multiple group membership prior to a youth mass gathering was associated with lower psychological distress, and if trust in friends at the mass gathering (i.e., ingroup trust) explained this relationship among young people who either reported or did not report an unwanted sexual experience. Drawing on data from a longitudinal field study of young people attending a mass gathering, Schoolies (N = 97), we assessed participants’ multiple group memberships prior to the mass gathering (T1) and measured ingroup trust and psychological distress during the mass gathering (T2). Our findings revealed that 64.9% of participants reported unwanted sexual experiences at the mass gathering. Among those who reported unwanted sexual experiences, moderated mediation analysis indicated that belonging to multiple groups at T1 was associated with greater ingroup trust at T2, which in turn was linked to lower psychological distress at T2. This study provides evidence that multiple group membership may provide important psychological resources necessary for protecting against psychological distress following unwanted sexual experiences. Further, it highlights how group memberships might be thought of as latent psychological resources in the context of adverse experiences.