They would rather not have known and me kept my mouth shut': The role of neutralisation in responding to the disclosure of childhood sexual abuse

There is a well-established literature examining how perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) neutralise the norms and beliefs that ordinarily prohibit such behaviours. However, there has been substantially less focus on how such techniques of neutralisation might also be applied by people and groups who were not directly involved in the abuse, who we might expect to be more supportive. Drawing on a thematic analysis of an open-ended survey (n=140) and semi-structured interviews (n=21) with adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse this paper examines societal responses to disclosure. Identifying three key techniques of neutralisation, it explores how families, professionals and institutions use wider discourses that deny the victim/survivor, deny or minimise harm and silence by appealing to loyalty. The results demonstrate how significant others can constrain, rather than support, the process of disclosure and recovering from CSA.

Lived experiences of resilience for women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse: A systematic review of qualitative studies

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) can have detrimental, long-lasting consequences but effects are diverse, and resilience, or attainment of better-than-expected outcomes, is possible.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review synthesises qualitative research findings about lived experiences of resilience processes used by women who had been subjected to CSA.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was undertaken of major and minor article databases (e.g., PsychInfo, Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus) and Google Scholar, with hand searching of reference lists and forward searching of retrieved articles. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria (peer-reviewed qualitative or mixed methods studies written in English about experiences of resilience by women who had experienced CSA). Data extraction, quality appraisal, and thematic analysis were performed.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis generated several process-related resilience themes: distancing oneself from sexual abuse; building healthy interpersonal, community, and cultural connections; drawing on spiritual belief systems; reframing the sexual abuse; placing blame with the perpetrator; reclaiming self-worth; taking control of one's life; and pursuing meaningful goals. For some, it involved forgiveness of self and others, reclaiming one's sexuality, and/or fighting against diverse forms of oppression. There was much evidence that resilience was a dynamic, personal and social-ecological phenomenon.

CONCLUSION

Counsellors and other professionals can use these findings to help women affected by CSA explore, develop, and strengthen factors that support resilience. Future research could explore the experiences of resilience for women with different cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic status, religious and/or spiritual affiliations.

The Relation Between Gendered Racial Microaggressions and Traumatic Stress Among Highly Educated Black Women

This study examined the relations among gendered racial microaggressions, resilience, individual and collective self-esteem, and traumatic stress among Black women. Personal self-esteem significantly mediated the positive relation between gendered racial microaggressions and traumatic stress. Resilience was also directly negatively related to traumatic stress and positively related to personal and collective self-esteem. Resilience moderated the positive relation between gendered racial microaggressions and membership identity/esteem. That is, at high levels of resilience, membership identity/esteem remained high, regardless of the frequency of gendered racial microaggressions. However, at low and average levels of resilience, membership identity/esteem was higher when experiencing more frequent gendered racial microaggressions. Mental health providers are encouraged to consider the deleterious role of gendered racial microaggressions in Black women’s traumatic stress. In addition, mental health providers should also consider the role of resilience in potentially mitigating traumatic stress and fostering Black women’s personal and collective self-esteem.

Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies

Although the global prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is very high, the experience of healing after such abuse has not been well documented. The goal of this study was to characterize the healing experience among CSA survivors presented in the literature. Metaethnography was used to synthesize an integrative literature review. The CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were used as data sources. Eight articles that explored healing experiences from CSA, published between 2007 and 2017, were included in the analysis. After performing a quality assessment, line-of-argument synthesis was used to construct the integrating scheme of healing experiences from CSA. CSA healing experiences included dissociating oneself from the memories of CSA, finding peace by creating a comfort zone, disclosure as the start of healing, attempting to establish identity through ongoing self-reflective activities, feeling comfort by sharing experiences and connecting with CSA survivors, and accepting CSA as part of the life history and stepping forward. Healing experiences from CSA synthesized from the analysis focused on personal growth, supporting previous theory on CSA health in the broader literature. A tailored care plan could be developed for CSA survivors who are at varying stages of healing.

Working with women in Turkey exposed to childhood sexual abuse

OBJECTIVE

Sexual abuse of children is an important public health issue. The aim of this study was to provide a multidimensional examination of women over the age of 18 who were exposed to sexual abuse in childhood and the effect of this abuse on their lives.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE

This qualitative study was conducted over the period June 2015-February 2017. Twenty-three women were gathered by the snowball sampling method.

MEASURES

We collected the data using a semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Content analysis was used in the evaluation of the data.

RESULTS

We found five themes that participants considered to result from their sexual abuse: emotional effects, sexuality, marriage, academic, and social aspects.

CONCLUSION

Sexual abuse adversely affected the physical, psychological, and social lives of individuals. Public health nurses play a role in working with women who were exposed to sexual abuse in childhood.

Positive Sexual Self-Schemas of Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of eight women survivors of childhood sexual abuse who view themselves as having a positive sexual self-schema, including their experiences of sexual satisfaction. Through thematic analysis, we developed the following themes: The Context for Sexual Development, Sexual Exploration, Coping Strategies, and Embracing the Sexual Self as Whole. The findings highlight the importance of relational, interpersonal, and community healing. Integral to women’s healing were experiences of sexual risk that allowed them to gain a sense of agency and empowerment. The themes that emerged provide additional support for Relational Cultural Theory as well as post-traumatic growth. We discuss the implications of these results in relation to counseling practice, training, and research.