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Michelis I, Makepeace J, Reis C. Who Is Centered in the Humanitarian Response to Gender-Based Violence? A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Survivor-Centered Approach. Violence Against Women 2024:10778012241231783. [PMID: 38374641 DOI: 10.1177/10778012241231783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Since the 1990s, the international humanitarian system has developed approaches, tools, and standards for addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in emergencies premised on the survivor-centered approach (SCA). Utilizing critical discourse analysis, we explore how articulation of SCA within humanitarian discourse aligns with its stated intent to return control to survivors. The analysis reveals that humanitarian system power dynamics distort the application of SCA, leaving humanitarian service providers in charge of assessing the best course of action or severely limiting survivors' choices. We propose a survivor led approach as more aligned with the feminist and transformative goals of humanitarian action against GBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Michelis
- Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Chen Reis
- Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
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2
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McLean KC, Pasupathi M, Syed M. Cognitive scripts and narrative identity are shaped by structures of power. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:805-813. [PMID: 37031012 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Constructing a narrative identity involves developing an understanding of oneself as integrated through time and across contexts, a task critical to psychosocial development and functioning. However, research has primarily focused on the individual in isolation or in highly localized contexts. This is problematic because narrative identity is profoundly shaped by structures of power; thus, we cannot understand how individuals understand themselves through time, across contexts, and as a member of a particular community without attention to the structure of society. We propose a structural-psychological framework for the study of autobiographical memory, narrative, and context that examines how structures of power are maintained, and potentially changed, through the narration of autobiographical events, as guided by cognitive scripts, or master narratives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Moin Syed
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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3
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Goldner L, Lev-Wiesel R, Bussakorn B. "I'm in a Bloody Battle without Being Able to Stop It": The Dissociative Experiences of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:7941-7963. [PMID: 36799511 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231153865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Dissociation in child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors remains under-recognized and diagnosed, partly because of the difficulties involved in identifying dissociative symptoms. Qualitative research can contribute to a better understanding of the lived experiences of dissociation. This study focused on the experiences of dissociation in the context of CSA. In all, 22 female incest survivors, all diagnosed with different dissociative disorders, provided narratives about their experiences of dissociation. The narratives were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The narrative analysis revealed four central themes. The first theme deals with reliving the experience of the abuse. The second theme refers to the experience of disconnection from the body, the self, and the surroundings. The third theme covers the lack of coherence in the narrative, and the fourth theme describes the bridge between voluntary controlled and nonvoluntary uncontrolled use of dissociation. The data are discussed in light of several traumagenic constructs, including a lack of self-sense, being entrapped in a victim-aggressor relationship, and distorted time perception. It is suggested that the extent to which participants can control their dissociation and the coherency of their narratives reflects the severity of their dissociation. Clinicians can consider helping clients use dissociation as an adaptive defense mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limor Goldner
- Faculty of Welfare and Health Sciences, The Emili Sagol CATs Research Center, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Rachel Lev-Wiesel
- Faculty of Welfare and Health Sciences, The Emili Sagol CATs Research Center, University of Haifa, Israel
- Tel Hai College, Upper Galilee, and the Emili Sagol CATs Research Center, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Binson Bussakorn
- Faculty of Fine Arts, FAA-Emili Sagol Creative Arts Research and Innovation for Well-being Center, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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4
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Vedadhir A, Bloom P, Majdzadeh R. Constructing Equitable Health Resilience: A Call for a Systems Approach to Intersectionality. Int J Health Policy Manag 2023; 12:8099. [PMID: 37579397 PMCID: PMC10425642 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2023.8099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- AbouAli Vedadhir
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Peter Bloom
- School of Business, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Reza Majdzadeh
- School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
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5
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Burns CJ, Sinko L. Restorative Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence Experienced in Adulthood: A Scoping Review. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2023; 24:340-354. [PMID: 34227414 DOI: 10.1177/15248380211029408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Sexual violence (SV) is a widespread human rights issue. Survivors of SV often experience profound dehumanization and poor health outcomes when their trauma is not properly addressed, rendering it critical that they are honored and empowered within subsequent processes of healing and seeking justice. With adjudication through the criminal legal system largely underutilized due to retraumatization, scrutiny from law enforcement professionals, and high rates of case closure, restorative justice (RJ) has emerged as a promising option for survivors to repair harm and experience accountability. Little is known, however, regarding the best practices for its use in cases of SV. To meet this need, a scoping review was conducted to identify the best practices for the implementation of RJ after instances of SV experienced in adulthood. Following the search methodology outlined by the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis for scoping reviews, 15 articles met search criteria, including four empirical studies and 11 nonempirical research materials spanning five academic disciplines. Best practices and structures for RJ were subsequently identified, including key phases for appropriate implementation. This review can be used to create increasingly productive RJ processes for SV survivors, which is particularly important for those coming from marginalized communities facing structural inequities, as well as survivors on university campuses. As researchers, we have the power to use science to propel society toward the creation of more efficacious healing spaces for survivors of SV, and optimizing safe RJ processes plays a key role in bringing this to fruition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Sinko
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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6
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Reiter JE, Grossman SF, Perkins NH, Pryce J, Flaherty-Gupta A. Parenting in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence: Understanding Mothers' Perceptions. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:4662-4687. [PMID: 35978540 DOI: 10.1177/08862605221118612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite existing research, which has focused on the impacts of intimate partner violence (IPV) on mothers and their children, there is a paucity of research specifically examining mothers' perceptions of parenting in the context of IPV. This qualitative study explored parenting capacity and meaning making among a purposive sample of 16 female survivors of IPV who experienced IPV during both childhood and adulthood and had at least one school-aged child. Participants completed semi-structured in-person interviews during which they were asked a series of questions about their experiences with IPV and their parenting practices. Analysis revealed that parenting capacity could be categorized by two capacities: relational and operational. Based on these descriptive accounts of the experiences of parenting in contexts of IPV, a preliminary model suggesting a Dual-Part Model of Parenting (relational and operational capacity) is presented to aid in understanding the complexity and nuance of how parenting capacity may be impacted by IPV exposure throughout the lifespan. Strengths-based approaches to supporting survivors in parenting are explored, and future implications for strengths-based approaches to clinical practice with IPV survivors as well as improved research practices and social policies that emphasize an intersectionality approach are discussed.
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Oddy J, Harewood M, Masserano E, Lounasmaa A. Experiences of forced migration: learning for educators and learners: a report. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 34:649-656. [PMID: 36695205 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2096403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
A combination of structural barriers, inadequate student welfare provision and the absence of psycho-social and academic support make higher education access for forcibly displaced students challenging. Many of these students will have experienced many stressful and potentially traumatic events that may have or may continue to impact their mental health and wellbeing. This article draws on reflections by educators and findings from eight interviews with students who participated in a twelve-week preparatory course for access to higher education for refugees and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. The paper firstly problematizes trauma as an organizing concept and challenges the dominant deficit approaches in forced migration studies when working with displaced students. Then, based on qualitative data collected from students and educators, it explores how creative skills were integrated and the importance of the student's voice as a culturally sustaining pedagogical approach to strengthening trauma-informed teaching approaches. The programme was designed to strengthen individual agency and promote well-being and mental health. Finally, this paper argues that working collaboratively with forcibly displaced students from an asset-based stance appeared critical in creating and sustaining a welcoming higher education environment which could contribute to promoting mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Oddy
- School of Education and Communities, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Michelle Harewood
- School of Education and Communities, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Erica Masserano
- School of Arts and Digital Industries, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Aura Lounasmaa
- Faculty of Management and Business (unit of Politics), Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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8
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W. Bogen K, M. Orchowski L, E. Ullman S. Online Disclosure of Sexual Victimization and Social Reactions: What Do We Know? WOMEN & THERAPY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/02703149.2021.1961448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine W. Bogen
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE USA
| | - Lindsay M. Orchowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Sarah E. Ullman
- Department of Criminology, Law, & Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA
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9
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Freyd JJ. Professor Emerit: It is Time to Reject Gendered Titles for Retired Faculty. J Trauma Dissociation 2021; 22:479-486. [PMID: 34524054 DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2021.1965962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Freyd
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.,Center for Institutional Courage, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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10
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Johnson L. Increasing Financial Empowerment among Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Growth Curve Analysis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 68:29-46. [PMID: 33338271 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Financial empowerment interventions are often used with survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) to improve their financial well-being. However, few evaluations actually measure financial empowerment as an outcome. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop and test a conceptual model for financial empowerment and then use the model to evaluate the effectiveness of a financial literacy intervention at increasing financial empowerment for survivors. The conceptual model was guided by Christens' nomological network for psychological empowerment and included four components: emotional, cognitive, relational, and behavioral. The analyses used data from a randomized controlled trial evaluating Moving Ahead, a financial literacy program developed for IPV survivors (n = 449). To determine whether this intervention was effective at increasing financial empowerment for survivors over time, confirmatory factor analyses were run to test for longitudinal measurement invariance, followed by a curve-of-factors growth model (CFM) with assignment as a time-invariant predictor of change. Strict partial longitudinal measurement invariance was achieved and CFM results found assignment to be significantly associated with both initial status (.054, p = .042) and change over time (.114, p = .000). Results suggest that this conceptual model for financial empowerment fit the data well and the intervention was effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Johnson
- School of Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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11
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Dichter ME, Chatterjee A, Protasiuk E, Newman BS. "I'd Go from a Mountain Top and Tell My Story": Perspectives of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence on Storytelling for Social Change. Violence Against Women 2021; 28:1708-1720. [PMID: 34435520 DOI: 10.1177/10778012211024267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Storytelling has well-documented therapeutic benefits for survivors of trauma. However, little is known about intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors' perspectives on sharing their stories. This article presents findings based on the analysis of 26 qualitative interviews with individuals who had experienced IPV regarding first-person story sharing. Participants described telling their stories as an act of healing and empowerment. They also named ways that storytelling can challenge societal views and structures that perpetuate IPV. Based on our findings, we offer suggestions for supporting survivor expertise and storytelling as part of a survivor-centered approach to IPV advocacy and social change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa E Dichter
- Center on Health Equity Research and Promotion, Crescenz VA Medical Center, School of Social Work, 6558Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alicia Chatterjee
- School of Social Policy & Practice, 6572University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ewa Protasiuk
- Department of Sociology, 6558Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bernie S Newman
- School of Social Work, 6558Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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12
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Pagan V. The murder of knowledge and the ghosts that remain: non-disclosure agreements and their effects. CULTURE AND ORGANIZATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/14759551.2021.1907389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Pagan
- Business School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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13
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Delker BC, Salton R, McLean KC, Syed M. Who has to tell their trauma story and how hard will it be? Influence of cultural stigma and narrative redemption on the storying of sexual violence. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234201. [PMID: 32502207 PMCID: PMC7274398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Although survivors of sexual violence have shared their stories with the public on social media and mass media platforms in growing numbers, less is known about how general audiences perceive such trauma stories. These perceptions can have profound consequences for survivor mental health. In the present experimental, vignette-based studies, we anticipated that cultural stigma surrounding sexual violence and cultural preference for positive (redemptive) endings to adversity in the United States (U.S.) would shape perceptions. Four samples of U.S. adults (N = 1872) rated first-person narratives of 6 more stigmatizing (i.e., sexual violence) or less stigmatizing (e.g., natural disaster) traumatic events. Confirming pre-registered hypotheses, sexual violence trauma (versus other types of trauma) stories were perceived as more difficult to tell, and their storytellers less likeable, even when they had redemptive endings. Disconfirming other pre-registered hypotheses, redemptive (versus negative) story endings did not boost the perceived likelihood or obligation to share a sexual violence trauma story. Rather, redemptive (versus negative) story endings only boosted the perceived likelihood, obligation, and ease of telling other, less stigmatizing types of trauma stories. Findings suggest that sexual violence survivors do not benefit, to the same degree as other survivors, from telling their stories with the culturally valued narrative template of redemption. Clinical and societal implications of the less receptive climate for sexual violence stories are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna C. Delker
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, United States of America
| | - Rowan Salton
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, United States of America
| | - Kate C. McLean
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, United States of America
| | - Moin Syed
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
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14
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Hopper JW. Values and visions for the field of psychological trauma, from brain to re-moralization and social transformation. J Trauma Dissociation 2020; 21:279-292. [PMID: 32026755 DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2020.1718968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James W Hopper
- Independent Consultant and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
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15
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McLean KC, Delker BC, Dunlop WL, Salton R, Syed M. Redemptive Stories and Those Who Tell Them are Preferred in the U.S. COLLABRA: PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1525/collabra.369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The present studies examined the common, but untested, theoretical assumption that those in the United States prefer negative past experiences, such as trauma, to be redeemed, to be resolved in some positive or growth-promoting fashion. Narratives of six types of traumatic events were rated by U.S adults (n = 1872) across six samples and two studies. Confirming pre-registered hypotheses, there was a reliable preference for stories that were redeemed compared to stories that ended negatively, as well as for the narrators of redemptive stories, who were judged as likable and to have desirable personality traits. There was no support for the hypothesis that redemptive stories would be viewed as more common than non-redemptive stories, or that the relation between story type and preference would be mediated by Belief in a Just World. Implications include the compulsory nature of storying trauma and potential risks of these cultural expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate C. McLean
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, US
| | | | | | - Rowan Salton
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, US
| | - Moin Syed
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, US
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