Dissertations / Theses: 'Rape survivors'

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Abolio, Bolukaoto. "The Experiences of female rape survivors seen at Bopanang Centre, Northern Cape." Thesis, University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus), 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/278.

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Thesis(M Med.(Family Medicine))--University of Limpopo, 2009.
Aim: The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of female rape survivors seen at Bopanang Centre in Upington, Northern Cape Province. The objectives of the study were: 1 To describe the experiences of female rape survivors who received health care at Bopanang Centre Upington, Northern Cape. 2 To enable caregivers understand the experiences of women who survived rape. Design: The design was a descriptive exploratory qualitative study using in depth interviews on females who survived rape. The interviews were conducted in both English and Afrikaans and recorded on audio tapes while field notes and a research diary were documented by the researcher. Setting: The setting was Bopanang Centre in Upington town in the Northern Cape. Study population: The study population was all female rape survivors seen at Bopanang Centre, Upington in the Northern Cape Province. The sample size of women interviewed was 10 participants. Results: Most female rape survivors recall exceptionally well the events leading to the rape. All the survivors experienced various post rape distressful feelings ranging from anger, bitterness, humiliation, sadness, and confusion, self-blame and guilt, lack of trust and fear of men to the most extreme feelings such as crushed dignity and dead inside even considering committing suicide. Variable and inconsistent care of services had been offered to them, without fully considering their specific needs and experiences of females who had survived rape. Victimization and stigma were barriers for disclosure and reporting of the rape. Excessive alcohol use and abuse of sleeping pills had been reported by some of the survivors as a means to alleviate the post rape distress. From the study disclosure was the most important factor in determining how one was able to cope with distress following the rape. All those survivors who had good family support could cope reasonably well to deal with post rape distress. Conclusion: The study concludes that the experiences of female rape survivors seenat Bopanang Centre in Upington Northern Cape have not been adequately addressed by health care providers and stakeholders, health care and post rape services offered to them. Female rape survivors having a good family support cope reasonably well despite the distressful post rape feelings experiences they experience on a daily basis.

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Walker, Jayne Lizbeth. "A study of male rape survivors." Thesis, University of Central Lancashire, 2004. http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/8726/.

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There appears to be appreciable literature on the sexual assault of boys, adult male survivors of childhood sexual assault and male rape in prison. However, where the victim is an adult male who has been raped in a community setting, there is little information. Study 1 investigated the nature and circumstances of such assaults and determined whether men who have been raped as adults differ significantly in their psychological adjustment from a well-matched control sample. Forty male rape victims were asked to complete a background questionnaire involving demographic and descriptive information such as the nature and circumstances of the assault and the long-term psychological effects on the victims. The long-term impact on the victim was assessed by comparing scores on established questionnaires (which researchers had previously used with other types of victims) with those from a well-matched control group. Study 1 indicated that the sexual assault of men by men has similarities to female rape in terms of assault characteristics and subsequent psychological sequalae. However, problems unique to male rape victims were a perceived loss of masculinity and confusion over sexual orientation. Most victims reported suffering from intrusive re-experiencing of the rape. Accordingly the majority consciously recognised avoidance of certain ideas, feelings and situations. Compared to the control group, victims displayed significantly more somatic and affective symptoms, significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression. Victims also displayed significantly lower levels of self-esteem and saw themselves as less positive and more unlucky than the control group. The impact of adult male rape can be explained by the conceptual models of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Horowitz, 1979) and Assumptive Worlds (Janoff-Bulman, 1985). Results were discussed in relation to previous research and differences and similarities between male and female victims are identified. Study 2 explored the rape scripts of a sample of a 100 university students who were asked to write about a 'typical' rape where the perpetrator was male and the victim was either female or male. The scripts were coded on common dimensions and male rape and female rape scripts compared. Male rape scripts were also compared with the accounts from the male rape victims in Study 1. Study 2 found that male and female respondents' depictions of a male to female and a male to male rape did not dramatically differ. The majority of both male and female respondents depicted a 'typical' rape regardless of the gender of the victim, to be a stereotypical 'stranger' rape. The results further revealed that the respondents' scripts were not entirely realistic when compared to the first hand account from the victims. In contrast to the depicted 'stranger' rape, the vast majority of victims were raped by an acquaintance. Theoretical implications, limitations of the studies and future research were considered.

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Thwala, Girly. "Spiritual healing experiences of rape survivors." Thesis, University of Zululand, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/1474.

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A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Community Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2015
The incidence of rape in South Africa is high. A total of 50 481 rape cases were reported in 2010. Rape trauma is exacerbated by the fact that the country has a limited number of professionally trained therapists to attend to survivors. Most survivors end up looking for assistance from their churches, and therefore claim to be healed spiritually. This study was conducted in the Nkangala district of South Africa because of the high incidence of reported rape cases. While it is estimated that one woman is raped in every five minutes in this district, there are only three psychologists employed by the government to attend to a population of 1 020 592. As a result of the scarcity of health care professionals, survivors end up looking for assistance from their churches. South Africa is a country in which spirituality is clearly important. Seventy five percent of the population claim to be Christian and twenty percent claim allegiance to other religions In-depth interviews were conducted with eight female rape survivors between the ages of 18 and 40yrs, who considered themselves to have experienced spiritual healing. Content analysis indicated that spiritual healing approximated psychotherapeutic interventions in the provision of unconditional positive regard, empathy, congregational support and respect. Survivors strongly believed that their healing occurred as a result of prayer, reading Holy Scriptures, church support and spiritual guidance, which gave them strength to forgive perpetrators and move on with their lives.
Department of Health Mpumalanga Province

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Gless, Kathleen M. E. "A critique of testimonies and an art of surviving Rwandanese genocidal rape survivors, incest and stranger rape survivors /." Fairfax, VA : George Mason University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1920/3064.

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Thesis (M.A.)--George Mason University, 2008.
Vita: p. 142. Thesis director: Debra Bergoffen. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed July 3, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-141). Also issued in print.

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Booley, Ayesha. "Subjective accounts of post-rape adjustment amongst South African rape survivors." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7481.

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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-118)
This study aimed to explore the subjective experiences of rape survivors, with a greater focus on the ongoing process of post-rape adjustment, as compared with the immediate psychological impact. The research employed feminist, qualitative methodology. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten rape survivors from the Rape Crisis office in Observatory, Cape Town, in the Western Cape. The interviews were recorded and the transcripts were analysed using grounded theory. The following broad thematic areas were identified: (1) psychiatric symptoms, (2) sense of self, (3) relationships with others, (4) coping attempts, and (5) grappling with meaning. The latter two thematic areas formed the focus of the study, and were discussed in more detail The main findings suggest that (l) subjective experience of the rape is more significant than the specific characteristics of the assault, (2) post-rape adjustment is not so much about recovery, but rather finding ways to adjust, which includes finding ways to live with the rape and making peace with the rape, and (3) meaning-making IS central to the process of post-rape adjustment. In addition, participants in the current study offered some alternative discourses to that of pathology. Recommendations for future research in this area are offered.

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Pistorio, Jaclyn M. P. "Mental health professionals' attitudes toward rape survivors." Thesis, Adler School of Professional Psychology, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3664152.

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The purpose of this dissertation is to examine licensed mental health professionals' attitudes towards rape survivors. Research indicates that the attitudes of police officers, mental health professionals, and the general public may influence the psychological adjustment of rape survivors and, consequently, whether or not that person seeks mental health treatment after the assault (Vincent, 2009). The negative impacts of rape on a person may not be specific only to the act of violence, but may also include secondary victimization from the survivors' negative experiences with authorities such as legal and mental health professionals (Campbell & Raja, 1999) who may hold negative beliefs about sexual assault and rape survivors (Nagel, Matsuo, McIntyre, & Morrison, 2005). Exposure to these negative beliefs held by others may be associated with negative secondary emotions in the survivor, such as guilt; guilt associated with actions taken or not taken in the context of rape has been observed to be positively correlated with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, low self-esteem, social anxiety, and suicidal ideation (Kubany, Abueg, Owens, Brennan, Kaplan, & Watson, 1995). It is therefore important to examine the attitudes licensed mental health workers hold towards rape survivors, as these rape survivors may seek services from mental health professionals, and the clinicians' attitudes towards these clients' experiences may significantly impact survivors' recovery from a sexual assault. In addition to measuring the acceptance of rape myths in licensed mental health providers, this study aims to explore how demographic variables in mental health professionals, such as gender, type of graduate degree, or participant rape survivor status, are related to the attitudes participants report about sexual assault. It was hypothesized that male study participants would attribute greater responsibility to survivors than female study participants would, based on the results of the updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, and congruent with published research highlighting this gender difference (Grubb & Harrower, 2009). It was hypothesized that mental health providers who have had more years of training in their graduate degree program would report lower levels of rape myth acceptance compared with those who had a shorter degree program. It was also hypothesized that participants who themselves identified as a rape survivor or who had a close friend or family member who is a survivor would attribute less responsibility to rape survivors, as research supports the observation that those who identify as survivors or friends of survivors may reject negative biases towards sexual assault survivors.

After completing both independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney U statistical analyses, gender identity was the only demographic for which statistically significant mean differences were seen in total rape myth acceptance scores (p = .012). This finding is not surprising, as much of the current literature supports that men, in general, attribute more blame to rape survivors than women. Prior to the current study there was no published research using licensed mental health providers as participants in a study using the updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Data gathered from the current study will therefore offer a valuable contribution to the literature on this topic. Further, it is hoped that this data can be used in the development of graduate programs, continuing education courses, and didactic seminars that debunk rape myths and promote competency around rape survivor issues.

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Panepinto, Amberly R. "Meaning Reconstruction and Recovery in Rape Survivors." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1102005366.

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McEwan, Siobhan L. "Friendly fire differential symptomatology in survivors of stranger and acquaintance rape /." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape10/PQDD_0028/NQ39289.pdf.

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Gregorowski, Claire. "Rape crisis counsellors' experiences of working with rape survivors in Cape Town." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14330.

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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-128).
This exploratory qualitative study documents the clinical knowledges gained by Rape Crisis counsellors working with rape survivors in Cape Town. It includes a description of the demographic profile of their clients, the rape experiences that their clients report, the psychological difficulties that clients present with, the methods of treatment being offered by the Rape Crisis counsellors, and counsellors' experiences regarding the effectiveness and/or limitations of these interventions. The research is conducted from a phenomenological hermeneutic framework. A semi-structured interview was developed for the research and was administered to eight counsellors and three counselling co-ordinators across the three Rape Crisis centres in Cape Town. Data were analysed using grounded theory analysis techniques. The research found that for the survivors of rape presenting for treatment at Rape Crisis, the experience of childhood sexual assault (CSA) was common, and that many survivors have experienced multiple traumatisation, or experience multiple ongoing stressors in addition to dealing with the impact of rape or CSA. Participants reported that survivors experience similar patterns of post-rape symptomotology as described in international literature. Treatments offered by participants were guided by the principle of empowerment and closely resembled feminist counselling models. The majority of participants' counselling work focussed on the early stages of recovery from trauma described in the literature, namely establishing physical, community, interpersonal and emotional safety. Establishing physical safety required that participants draw on an extensive network of non-government and other organisations. Treatment also focused on helping survivors to talk about their traumatic experiences and facilitating their connection with others. Participants commonly reported experiencing vicarious traumatisation as a result of their work with clients. The most commonly reported barriers to treatment were clients' conditions of poverty and the limited amount of sessions participants are able to offer due to limited resources. Despite these, the participants reported observing positive change in many of their clients following treatment.

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Hockett, Jericho M. "“Rape victims” versus “rape survivors”: oppression and resistance in individuals’ perceptions of women who have been raped." Diss., Kansas State University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/16525.

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Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Psychological Sciences
Donald A. Saucier
An overview discusses rape in terms of two systems of social power: oppression and resistance. Components of these systems—i.e., individuals’ rape-related attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors, and outcomes—are compared in the literatures on “rape victims” and “rape survivors” (Hockett & Saucier, under review), suggesting that different results and conclusions are associated with different labels applied to the same group (i.e., women who have been raped). Three studies assessed differences in individuals’ rape-related perceptions (Study 1), intergroup helping intentions (Study 2), and interpersonal helping intentions (Study 3) for “rape victims,” “rape survivors,” and “women who have been raped.” Extending feminist and social psychological theories of social power, results generally supported my hypotheses that such labels would produce different perceptions and helping intentions. The discussion addresses implications for theory, limitations, and directions for future research.

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Zraly, Maggie. "BEARING: RESILIENCE AMONG GENOCIDE-RAPE SURVIVORS IN RWANDA." online version, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=case1189191843.

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Emm, Deborah L. "Coping with victimization : the short- and long-term impact of rape upon survivors /." Connect to resource, 1985. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view.cgi?acc%5Fnum=osu1244219084.

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Paul, Lisa A. "Perceptions of peer rape myth acceptance association with psychological outcomes among sexual assault survivors /." Laramie, Wyo. : University of Wyoming, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1313922721&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=18949&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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Pashdag, Joanna A. "Sexual Assault Survivors' Narratives and Prediction of Revictimization." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2004. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1103229596.

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McLachlan, Katherine Jane, and katherine mclachlan@flinders edu au. "Grounds for Hope and Disappointment: Victims/Survivors Perceptions of South Australia Police Responses to Rape." Flinders University. School of Law, 2007. http://catalogue.flinders.edu.au./local/adt/public/adt-SFU20070824.131843.

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Internationally, there have been few studies examining the attitudes of people who have been raped towards police (Jordan, 2001a; Lievore, 2005; Temkin, 1997, 1999). Little research in Australia (particularly South Australia) has examined the experiences of victims/survivors of rape with police. Existing data do show that women who have been raped rarely report assaults to police. This has been attributed by researchers to a range of reasons, both personal and systemic, including the influence of stereotypes and myths about rape on victims/survivors decision-making. Rape myths often reflect community attitudes, social norms and police responses. For example, victims/survivors may blame themselves and also expect police will blame or disbelieve them. Such expectations (or subsequent experiences) of negative police responses undermine victims/survivors faith in police. However, this is not the whole story. In reality, police responses to rape are complex and inconsistent, influenced by both individual and organisational factors. I initiated this study to explore victims/survivors expectations of, and experiences with, police in a transparent and accessible forum. Based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 11 women who had been raped in South Australia, my findings illustrated the diversity of South Australia Police responses to victims/survivors of rape and suggested that South Australia Police practices were similar to those of other Australian and English-speaking jurisdictions. Overall, interactions with South Australia Police simultaneously provide grounds for hope and are disappointing (Lievore, 2005: 59; emphasis added). In many cases police responses were disappointing, through service provision that was partly or wholly negative. Specific individual and organisational factors were associated with satisfactory or unsatisfactory police practices. Poor service provision was evident in individual police officers apathy and dismissive or disbelieving responses, and through low prioritisation and limited resourcing of sexual violence at an organisation level. However, my findings indicated that there was also much to be hopeful about when considering South Australia Police responses to rape. The participants in my study often reported exemplary service from individual officers. At the reporting and investigation stages, good practices were based on procedural justice rather than outcome justice: characterised by strong communication, empathy and professionalism at an individual level and consistency at an organisational level.

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Horn, Natalie Kathrin. "Finding meaning after rape: An examination of meaning-making strategies and consequences in rape survivors." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1562859581788623.

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Van, de Water Tanya. "Shame, cognitive vulnerabilities and traumatic stress in adult rape survivors." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020947.

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The prevalence of rape in South Africa has reached epidemic proportions. The experience of shame in a rape victim may impact on issues such as disclosure and avoidance (which increases posttraumatic stress severity (PSS)). It is also known that other cognitive vulnerabilities such as anxiety sensitivity, rumination, looming cognitive style, and attribution style impacts the severity of traumatic stress. These vulnerabilities overlap with the experience of shame conceptually. It remains unclear whether shame has a direct relationship with severity or whether it influences other dynamics that eventually contributes to increases in (PSS). 37 female adult rape survivors from a local NGO completed a biographical questionnaire and a variety of quantitative measures of shame (Experience of Shame Scale (ESS)), PSS (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire – Revised (HTQ-R)), anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Index – 3(ASI-3)), rumination (Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ)), looming cognitive style (Looming Maladaptive Style Questionnaire (LMSQ)), and attribution style (Attribution Style Questionnaire (ASQ)). Initial explorations were done to determine the cross-group equivalence of these measures since it was the first time some of them were used in South Africa (and exclusively on rape survivors). The construct, semantic, and metric equivalence findings are reported for each measure. In this regard all measures apart from the ASQ had good internal consistency but factor analyses indicated that the measures are more reasonably seen to measure single factor constructs rather than the configuration presupposed by the constituent subscales. The evidence indicates that total scores may be used with some confidence in the construct validity and internal consistency of these measures (with the exception of the ASQ), but that subscale scores should not be over interpreted. Furthermore, the presence of cognitive constructs within the sample was explored and it was found that high levels of shame, PSS, and the cognitive vulnerabilities were present. Finally a multiple regression and concomitant analyses indicated that only knowing the perpetrator had any influence on the variables under study and that shame and rumination accounted for the largest amount of variance in PSS.

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Godden, Nicola May. "Seeking justice for victim-survivors : unconventional legal responses to rape." Thesis, Durham University, 2013. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/6379/.

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This thesis argues for legal responses to rape that better recognise and are more responsive to the diversity of harms that victim-survivors suffer. Securing justice for rape victim-survivors has been high on feminists’ agendas since the 1970s. Justice is typically assumed to equate to punishing the perpetrators of rape, and as the criminal justice system all too often fails to achieve this goal it is deemed to be unjust. However, some feminists are beginning to challenge this assumption, and to consider whether justice could be achieved through other methods. While some have begun to explore unconventional legal responses to rape, there has been little discussion of these responses and the meanings of justice for victim-survivors. As such, this thesis explores what constitutes justice from the perspective of victim-survivors, and, in light of this, evaluates the criminal justice system and the unconventional responses of restorative justice and tort law. It questions whether these unconventional responses can offer good means and ends to justice in themselves, and uses them as different perspectives from which to reconsider the criminal justice response to rape. To these ends, the thesis analyses a restorative justice conference which addressed sexual violence – adding to the little empirical research in this area – and explores the small body of case law in which victim-survivors have brought a civil claim in trespass to the person for rape, which has, thus far, been paid little academic attention. Suggestions are made as to how the criminal law, restorative justice and tort law could be improved to enhance justice for victim-survivors. It is argued that different legal responses should be increasingly utilised in addition, or as an alternative to, the criminal law, and that the criminal justice system should be more responsive to the diversity of harms of rape to secure justice for victim-survivors.

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Vieweger, Maria. "Women Rape Survivors Narratives of Psychological Support and Counselling Experiences." Master's thesis, Faculty of Humanities, 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/11427/31801.

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South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape in the world. Experiencing rape frequently proposes substantial consequences on survivors’ physical, psychological and social wellbeing, which accentuates the importance of providing survivors with help, support, and protection. However, the scarce studies examining survivors’ experiences with the support system indicate many flaws within the system, sometimes even resulting in further harm. This failure of governmental support systems stimulated an increasing manifestation of NGOs as providers of survivor support. It is consequently crucial to understand and evaluate the success of these services to fully understand the quality of available support. The objective of this study was to investigate women rape survivors’ post rape experiences and their journey and subsequent experiences with the counselling provided to them by the Cape Town based NGO Rape Crisis. Fifteen adult rape survivors were recruited via opportunity sampling and asked to participate in one hour long unstructured interviews. In line with the research topic and the research questions, an intersectional feminist paradigm was chosen for the theoretical framework and thematic narrative analysis was applied as the analytic approach. The analysis showed four themes relating to rape survivors’ narratives on post-rape challenges, namely; the silence and stigma that victimises survivors, the psychological effects of rape, help seeking as a last resort, and demystifying counselling. Additionally, five themes around survivors’ experiences of Rape Crisis counselling were established, namely; the value of a professional safe space, building a counsellor relationship, talking and listening, a collaborative effort to finding oneself, and sharing collective stories of pain. The findings highlight the need for more outreach and education efforts around rape, as well the importance for professional yet not too clinical psychological support which incorporates empowerment principles and focuses on help to self-help.

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Kuhn, Kalliste. "From rape victim to anti-rape activist : exploring the personal journeys of three South African survivors." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/65566.

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South Africa is plagued by exceptionally high levels of inter-personal violence, namely rape. Whilst rape remains so pervasive, it is important to underpin potential mechanism of recovery for those left in its wake. In an effort to understand the mechanisms of recovery from rape through resilience and meaning-making, this study entitled “From rape victim to anti-rape activist: Exploring the personal journeys of three South Africa Survivors” explores lived experiences. The study employed an interpretivist epistemological lens, whilst enacting hermeneutic phenomenology’s guiding principles for the research pathway. Participants were recruited through contact with a Gender-Based-Violence non-profit organisation, where a qualitative methodological design was employed. Data was gathered via semi-structured interviews within the hermeneutic tradition. Data was analysed using the principles of hermeneutic analysis, which gave rise to fusion of horizons providing a snapshot of six individual themes per participant, and four global themes. The experience of moving from victim to activist whilst experiencing recovery was negatively mediated by the impact of patriarchal culture, victim-blaming and gendered norms but was facilitated positively by reconstructing meaning through the telling of their own stories and the witnessing of other’s stories. The co-constructed understanding between researcher and participants gave rise to the importance of: recognising the undiscovered opportunities the trauma brings; undertaking altruistic activities; the manufacture of power through mastery in multiple life domains; as well as acknowledging the purpose in one’s life, in this instance motherhood – as a mechanism of redefining the relationship with the rape.
Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Psychology
MA
Unrestricted

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Bergström, Östling Louise, and Elin Fält. "Social work with female rape survivors : An exploration of what challenges social workers may experience in their work with female rape survivors and the strategies and methods used in this work." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för socialt arbete och psykologi, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-23416.

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The aim of this study was twofold. First, to explore what challenges social workers may experience in their work with female rape survivors. The second aim was to explore how social workers work with females who have survived rape. A qualitative research design was chosen, and semi-structured interviews with social workers were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to structure the findings. Four themes were found in connection to challenges; feelings of shame and guilt among rape survivors, the criminal proceedings, to not be able to help all survivors and lastly potential threats to social workers’ own wellbeing. The findings regarding methods were that the social workers adapt their work strategies based on the needs of the survivor. The social workers used strategies focused on reducing feelings of shame and guilt and normalizing symptoms.

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Davis, Mildred Ann. "Understanding Sexual Assault Survivors' Willingness to Participate in the Judicial System." PDXScholar, 2014. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/2094.

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This dissertation examined the relationship between support services for adult survivors of sexual assault and judicial outcomes. Specifically, this study explored survivors' willingness to participate in the judicial process. Although "victim unwilling to participate" is the primary reason given by the police for cases not progressing to prosecution, we know little about most aspects of survivors' willingness to participate in the judicial process, especially beyond initial reporting of the assault. The steps to prosecution are dependent on one another yet a survivor's willingness to participate in these steps is a fluid process. The primary research question explored was Are there clusters of survivors according to their responses to specific items on a Willingness to Participate scale? Additional research questions focused on differences among possible clusters of survivors. A semi-structured interview protocol was completed with 46 survivors of adult sexual assault. Cluster analysis was conducted and three clusters emerged. Findings suggest that support services were helpful to those who were highly willing to participate but that willingness was insufficient to influence judicial outcomes. Future research concerning judicial outcomes in sexual assault cases should focus on strategies to dispel myths about rape among survivors, within the judicial system, and with potential jurors as a means of improving both survivor participation and judicial outcomes.

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De, Swardt Catherine. "Speaking with rape survivors : an analysis of the stories women share." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10400.

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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-117).
Rape is an all too familiar phenomenon in South Africa. Yet, whereas there is a growingliterature in the west, which examines the everyday understandings of rape amongst women, inSouth Africa documented understanding of rape is largely contained within theoretical-sociological explanations for its high prevalence. This study aimed to explore the ways in which a group of rape survivors in the Western Cape, South Africa, make sense of rape and its impact on their lives. A secondary aim was to examine whether Western trauma classifications provide a useful framework for understanding the impact of rape in this context. The study formed the qualitative component of a larger quantitative study focused on women's adherence to anti-retroviral medication post rape (The Post Exposure Prophylaxis Study). The research question was approached from a feminist social constructionist perspective, using qualitative methodology. In depth interviews with ten rape survivors were carried out, six months postrape.

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Partridge, Nicolette. "Investigating treatment strategies for adolescent rape survivors : a grounded theory analysis." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9012.

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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-89).
An evaluation conducted by the Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust (RCCTT) revealed that over 43% of their clients were teenagers, and a preliminary search of the current literature revealed a dearth of studies on the interplay between the developmental stage of adolescence and treatment of the adolescent rape survivor. This study therefore aimed to explore factors to consider when devising treatment strategies for this unique client group. Individual and focus group interviews with clinical practitioners, Rape Crisis staff members, and lay counsellors from each of the Rape Crisis Centres in the Western Cape, who had worked with rape survivors in this age group, were conducted, using an open-ended, semi-structured interview schedule. A grounded theory analysis of participants' experiences of working with adolescent rape survivors was then carried out. Patterns that emerged from this data tended to focus on basic guidelines that the practitioners' followed, the influence of the family and social systems on the therapeutic process, and the challenges that practitioners experienced in working therapeutically with these adolescents. This data was then combined with literature in the areas of trauma, adolescent development, and treatment strategies. The findings demonstrated that victimization in the stage of adolescence is a complex phenomenon that calls for maintaining a 'paradoxical position' by the practitioner, and that requires a multidimensional approach to treatment. On the basis of the findings, four broad categories, including 1) the stage of recovery of the client, 2) symptoms and behaviours present, 3) level of development the adolescent is functioning at, and 4) the influence of the system on the adolescent's healing, were suggested as starting points for planning interventions, and a number of treatment strategies that materialized from the study were discerned under these categories. Recommendations for future research were then proposed to further the body of knowledge in this field.

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Pepper, Sarah E. "Self Blame in Sexual Assault Survivors and Attributions to Other Sexual Assault Survivors." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2009. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12181/.

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Previous research indicates that survivors of sexual assault often blame themselves for the assault. Research has also shown that people blame the perpetrator in some situations and the survivor in other situations involving sexual assault. The purpose of this study was to discover if survivors of sexual assault who blame themselves tend to blame other survivors (survivor blame) in situations different from their own. Another purpose was to assess whether or not sexual assault survivors who do not blame themselves for their attack tend to blame other survivors. The participants' attributional style was also assessed in order to understand the relations between self-blame and survivor blame in situations involving sexual assault. Findings indicated that certain types of attributional style are related to self-blame in sexual assault survivors and blame toward sexual assault survivors depicted in vignettes. This indicates that attributional style may have important implications in the clinical setting to aid sexual assault survivors who experience self-blame, as well in educating society about sexual assault and the ultimate responsibility of perpetrators.

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Gwynn, Stacy Roddy Riggs Shelley Ann. "Adult attachment and posttraumatic growth in sexual assault survivors." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2008. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-9100.

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Theunissen, Shanae. "The relationship between survivor traumatic stress, coping self-efficacy and secondary traumatic stress in informal supporters of rape survivors." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20801.

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The prevalence of rape in South Africa is widespread and survivors often experience severe posttraumatic stress and shame. Although secondary traumatic stress (STS) is a risk for everyone who works with primary survivors of trauma it has only been examined in a variety of professionals that provide supportive and clinical services to traumatised populations. Little is known about the impact that this experience has on the friends and family members that support these survivors. In some cases, supporters have to find a way to cope with significant distress associated with witnessing posttraumatic stress in a loved one. This begs the question of how their perceived ability to cope would influence their experience of STS. However, no studies exist that explore the dynamics between severity of posttraumatic stress in rape survivors and secondary traumatic stress and coping self-efficacy in their supporters. For this quantitative study, 23 rape survivors from a local non-governmental organisation completed the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Revised (HTQ-R). The 28 informal supporters that were identified, completed the Traumatic Attachment Belief Scale (TABS) and the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE). Cross-group equivalence, the presence of the outlined factors in the sample, as well as the interaction between factors, are explored and described. Findings indicate that although the survivors endorsed some symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, their scores were not elevated enough to meet the cut-off point for this diagnosis. Findings related to the supporters indicate that the sample experienced average to high average levels of secondary traumatisation. Despite this, the subjects experienced adequate levels of coping self-efficacy. These findings indicate a need to provide more counselling resources to informal supporters in order to alleviate their secondary traumatisation and in turn increase their ability to assist primary rape survivors.

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Petrak, Jenny. "The development of a clinical assessment protocol for female survivors of sexual assualt." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.321004.

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Abdullah-Khan, Noreen. "Survivors of male rape : the emergence of a social and legal issue." Thesis, Middlesex University, 2002. http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/6720/.

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Little is known about the crime of adult male-on-male rape. The present study aims to explore the nature and impact of male rape on men's lives using statistics from SurvivorsUK (1344 cases) and a victimisation survey of 16 men to generate qualitative data for this purpose. The reluctance of men to report rape is explored using this data, as are men's needs in terms of service provision. Semi structured interviews with seven male rape counsellors are used to further examine these points. A newspaper content analysis over a 13-year period documents the emergence of male rape as a social and legal issue and also illustrates that male rape myths are perpetuated by coverage of this phenomenon. A questionnaire of 93 police officers across seven divisions of the Metropolitan Police Service considers police responses to, and attitudes towards, male rape, and demonstrates that such myths are manifest within the police service. The findings demonstrate that the impact of rape on men's lives is severe and that men experience rape trauma syndrome as identified in female rape victims. This trauma is intensified by rape myths rooted within society, perpetuated by newspapers, and manifest within the police service. An acute information gap in police training on male rape is identified and the research illustrates a strong need for multi-agency support systems for male survivors. The Male Victims of Sexual Abuse Steering Group is a multi-agency group chaired by the Metropolitan Police and established to draw information from different agencies to develop research and awareness of male rape and sexual abuse. Current initiatives from this group are presented. The research explores the theoretical positions of positivism, feminism and masculinities and examines the importance of these in understanding the male survivor of rape. In focusing on the experiences of male survivors the study identifies the need for social and cultural change to validate these experiences. It is suggested that these be supported with changes in legislation to include oral and object penetration under existing rape law so as to give legal recognition to these experiences. It is evident that policy changes are therefore needed to reflect the needs and demands for survivors of a very real social and legal issue. The research demonstrates a clear contribution to the theoretical debates in criminology which provide an understanding of rape, and which underpin the empirical work. The empirical work is a contribution to research in terms of understanding the phenomenon of male rape and the findings demonstrate the wider policy implications of that work. As such, the thesis is an advancement of knowledge and research and provides for future policy directions to support

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Tu, Angela Wen-Chun. "The Construction of Legal Credibility for Rape Survivors Who Are International Students." The Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462892224.

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Chiu, Lai-suen. "A study on the coping strategies of the acquaintance rape survivors in Hong Kong." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B31979282.

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Van, Male Lynn M. "Autonomic characteristics of sexual trauma survivors /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9988705.

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Curtiss, Kathleen A. "The Impact of Rape Myths and the Media on Students’ Perceptions of Police Response and Empathy for Survivors in Sexual Assault." Connect to full text in OhioLINK ETD Center, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=toledo1194626074.

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Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toledo, 2007.
Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for The Master of Arts Degree in Psychology." "A thesis entitled"--at head of title. Bibliography: leaves 56-63.

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Chiu, Lai-suen, and 趙麗璇. "A study on the coping strategies of the acquaintance rape survivors inHong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31979282.

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Gous, Marianne. "Exploring the experiences of adult female rape survivors in the emergency care environment." Diss., Pretoria [s.n.], 2009. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10262009-194829/.

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Grossmann, Elena. "The Silent Aftermath of the Second World War - Ethical Loneliness in Rape Survivors." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle (KS), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-23481.

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This thesis engages with the issue of the post-WWII rapes of women in Germany committed by the soldiers of the winning parties that occupied Germany after the war. It asks how female survivors of sexual violence during the occupation of Germany in 1945-1949 experienced social responses towards their violation. It pursues these responses in public and private sphere and explores the effect they had on the survivors and their recovery. A qualitative method of thematic analysis is employed to analyse the material consisting of interviews based on secondary sources, empirical research done by historians and psychologists, and reliable news articles that address the issue under scrutiny.The thesis contributes to Peace and Conflict Studies empirically, by exploring sensitive civilians’ lived experiences in a particular post-war setting and theoretically, through an attempt at analysis based on the theoretical framing of ethical loneliness as developed by Jill Stauffer.It shows that the predominantly negative nature of social responses in both public and private sphere held to the condition of ethical loneliness that was a crucial hindrance for the survivors’ recovery. The issue of silence is found to be especially relevant as it pertains both to social responses and to the survivors’ own attempt at coping with the situation, thereby emerging as a key reason for the lasting experience of ethical loneliness.

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James, Shemetra Lachell. "Paths Towards Healing: Can Forgiveness Practices Help Survivors of Date Rape Overcome Trauma?" Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1536242452238725.

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South, Kelsey. "College Student Survivors' Evaluations of Institutional Responses To Reports of Sexual Violence." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/22262.

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Sexual violence among college students is one of the largest public health concerns of violence researchers and administrators of Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). The vast majority of college students do not formally report incidents of sexual violence to IHEs, but the experiences of those survivors who do report these crimes have not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to (a) examine relationships between survivors’ evaluations of IHE responses, secondary victimization emotions, and future reporting intentions, and (b) determine what constitutes helpful and unhelpful IHE responses for student survivors. The sample was 115 college students at an IHE in the Pacific Northwest who were identified as victims of sexual violence incidents that were formally reported to the University of Oregon. Self-report, descriptive data included sample demographics, victimization type, substance use, revictimization, and academic departure following the reported incident. Participants evaluated three different aspects of the IHE response: the first staff member to whom they reported, the response by the institution’s victim services team, and the IHE’s overall response. Path analyses were conducted to determine relationships between survivors’ evaluations of IHE responses, voluntary substance use prior to the incident, secondary victimization emotions, and future reporting intentions. Qualitative data identifying participants’ experiences of helpful and unhelpful aspects of IHE responses was also collected. Path analyses revealed that (a) victim voluntary substance use and more negative evaluations of overall IHE response predicted secondary victimization emotions; (b) more positive evaluations of the IHE victim services team, more positive evaluations of the overall IHE response, and less secondary victimization emotions predicted future reporting intentions; and (c) secondary victimization emotions partially mediated the relationship between overall IHE response and future reporting intentions. Findings highlight the importance of assessing student survivors’ experiences of IHE responses to reports of sexual violence. Recommendations for improving IHE responses are provided and implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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Gwynn, Stacy Roddy. "Adult Attachment and Posttraumatic Growth in Sexual Assault Survivors." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2008. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9100/.

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Posttraumatic growth, defined as positive psychological changes in the aftermath of adversity and suffering, is a relatively recent focus in psychological research. The addition of this concept to the literature has provided a new, more resiliency-based framework through which to view survivors of various forms of trauma. Despite estimates that over half of all sexual assaults are not reported to the authorities, current crime statistics indicate that 1 in 4 women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime (Campbell & Wasco, 2005). Given the large percentage of the population that is impacted by sexual assault, it is essential that professionals better understand the factors that influence the successful healing and growth that can occur post-trauma. The purpose of this study was to further expand the literature on posttraumatic growth in sexual assault survivors by considering this phenomenon through the lens of attachment theory. Specifically, this study tested a proposed model of the inter-relationships among subjective and objective perceptions of threat during the sexual assault, adult romantic attachment, and posttraumatic growth. It was hypothesized that adult romantic attachment and parent-child attachment would mediate the relationship between subjective, or perceived threat, defined as the victim's perception of life threat, and objective threat, defined as the severity of the sexually aggressive act perpetrated on the victim, and posttraumatic growth. Finally, it was hypothesized that subjective threat appraisal would better predict posttraumatic growth than objective threat appraisal. Contrary to hypotheses, results of the study indicated that adult romantic attachment and parent-child attachment did not mediate the relationship between subjective and objective threat appraisal and posttraumatic growth. Thus, both path analytic models were not viable. However, exploratory analysis indicated that both subjective and objective threat appraisal were directly related to posttraumatic growth, with subjective perceived threat appraisal accounting for more of the variance.

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Hochberg, Amy Rebecca. "Uncovering oppression within the anti-rape movement the role of race in the reporting experiences of adult Black female rape survivors : a project based upon an independent investigation /." Click here for text online. Smith College School for Social Work website, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10090/982.

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Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007
Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-83).

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Turner, Victoria Lynn 1970. "The effects of a gender specific questionnaire on college students' attitudinal responses about rape survivors." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/291891.

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This study examined the effects of a gender specific questionnaire on college students' attitudinal responses about rape survivors. The Attitudes About Rape Survivors Scale was used in two versions, female specific and male specific, to measure one-hundred and eighty-three college students' attitudinal responses about rape survivors. The 2 x 2 factorial research design contained two main effects, gender and gender specific language, and one interaction, gender by gender specific language. The two-way ANOVA test of the main effects and interaction yielded significant results for gender, F (1, 179) = 28.50, p ≤.001, and gender specific language, F (1, 179) = 11.08, p ≤.001. No significant results were found for the interaction of gender by gender specific language, F (1, 179) =.046, p ≤.831. Additional findings regarding directional implications for the main effects, male target rape survivor, and structure of the items within the Attitudes About Rape Survivors Scale were also found. All findings were discussed with regard to implications for future research.

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Lekganya, Is-haaq. "A systematic review of the psychological factors associated with resilience among survivors of sexual abuse." University of the Western Cape, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4179.

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Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych)
This study aimed to synthesise the debates on factors associated with promoting resilience among women survivors of sexual abuse. Using systematic review methodology, six electronic databases (EBSCO, PsychINFO, SAGE, Science Direct, Springerlink and JSTOR) were used. Several keywords related to resilience and sexual abuse were utilised to search for articles published between January 2000 and December 2013 for inclusion. These primary studies were collocated, systematically assessed, synthesised and interpreted. Using two reviewers, data extraction was conducted in three stages, namely: the title reading, the abstract reading and the full text reading of articles. For the quality assessment, four instruments were employed, two of which were self-constructed tools. Thirty articles acquired an acceptable threshold score during the analysis and were used to compose this systematic review. Findings of this review highlighted that resilience is multidimensional; that is, it is made up of intrinsic and extrinsic resources/factors and is also a complex gradual dynamic process with specific indicators. These indicators include demonstration of competence and excellent functioning in important areas of life such as work, relationships, self-management, psychological well-being, and good health. Ten interacting factors were identified as promoting resilience including, 1) availability of social support from family and friends; 2) ego resources; 3) temperament/personality factors; 4) biographic characteristics; 5) ability to regulate emotions; 6) cultural factors; 7) positive life opportunities; 8) religion and spirituality; 9) abuse related factors; and 10) coping skills/strategies. These factors interact together, leading the survivor to be resilient. Major findings of the study as well as the implications for practice and further research are discussed.

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Tegegn, Dunia [Verfasser]. "Victimized Twice. Promoting Accountability and Justice for Survivors of Wartime Rape in South Sudan / Dunia Tegegn." Munich : GRIN Publishing, 2016. http://d-nb.info/1129875784/34.

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Edross, Sadia. "A comparison of the trauma and autobiographical narratives of female rape and non-sexual assualt survivors." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10478.

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Research on the trauma and autobiographical narratives of survivors are two burgeoning areas in the international literature. The focus is primarily on the correlation between particular linguistic features in these narratives and PTSD and depression. Whilst these findings have important clinical implications, feminists and critical psychologists argue that an emphasis on a medical trauma response model for understanding narratives attenuates the influence of socio-cultural context and subjective differences. The primary aim of the current study was to explore whether there were commonalities and differences in the trauma and autobiographical narratives in a sample of South African adult female survivors of sexual and non-sexual assault. A broader aim of the study was to be attentive to the interconnection and influence of multiple factors on the narratives of the participants.

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Edross, Sadia. "The differences in the psychological impact of trauma between female rape and non-sexual assault survivors." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10479.

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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-177).
International research suggests that rape impacts more negatively on the mental health of rape survivors than non-sexual assault. For both groups the post trauma response has mainly been accounted for by Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Findings from empirical studies are unequivocal that rape survivors are more likely to develop PTSD. Additionally, a rich body of feminist qualitative research has also been generated, which points to a specific post trauma response to rape. In contrast to an abundance of international studies on rape and nonsexual assault, the psychological impact of these traumas on women in South Africa is underresearched. The purpose of the current study was thus to contribute to this gap, and prospectively explored whether the impact of trauma differs between female survivors of rape and non-sexual assault in South Africa.

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Strydom, Yolandi Eloise, and Diane Elkonin. "The relationship between receiving an HIV test result and the traumatic stress symptoms of rape survivors." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12876.

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Rape survivors often have two traumatic events to deal with. In addition to the actual rape experience, survivors commonly need to deal with hearing the results of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing (which is standard practice after rape in South Africa). The relationship between these two traumatic events in terms of the survivors specific traumatic stress symptoms have not been well explored in the literature. The primary aim of this study was therefore an exploration of the relationship between receiving an HIV test result and the traumatic stress symptoms of rape survivors. In order to contextualise the main aim, an exploration of the relationship between demographic variables, knowledge of HIV status and early traumatic stress symptoms was also completed. The initial sample consisted of 97 South African rape survivors, however, only 45 participants returned for the second part of the study. This quantitative study utilised an exploratory descriptive design using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Revised (HTQ-R) to measure the traumatic stress symptoms of rape survivors. The results of the first part of the study indicated that there was no significant difference between participants’ demographic factors in relation to their knowledge of HIV status or their overall traumatic stress symptom severity. Significant differences on individual traumatic stress symptoms indicated a relationship between not knowing one’s HIV status and dissociation after a rape incident, as well as a relationship between rape survivors who knew their HIV status is positive and emotional dysregulation. The results of the second part (and main analysis) of the study indicated that most participants presented with less severe overall traumatic stress severity after receiving their HIV test results (irrespective of their status before and after hearing their results). However, participants whose HIV status was unknown and who received a positive test result reported more severe overall traumatic stress compared to those whose HIV status was unknown and received a negative test result. Some inter-group differences on individual symptoms were HIV TEST RESULT TRAUMATIC STRESS RAPE SURVIVORS noted that highlight the possibility that dissociative and an intrusion/hyperarousal subtypes may be at work to explain some of the differences seen.

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Smith-Marek, Erika Nicole. "The experience of exercise: women survivors of sexual violence." Diss., Kansas State University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/18972.

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Doctor of Philosophy
School of Family Studies and Human Services
Joyce Baptist
Sexual violence is pervasive in the lives of women across the globe. Survivors commonly experience a range of mental health conditions following sexual trauma, rendering the development and examination of effective treatments to be critical. Preliminary research supports the use of adjunct exercise interventions for the treatment of trauma. In order to explore the impact of exercise interventions for the treatment of sexual violence, specifically, it is necessary to first come to understand survivors’ experiences of exercise. To better understand the experience of exercise among women survivors of sexual violence, a phenomenological study, informed by a feminist perspective, was conducted with survivors of sexual violence receiving services at a rape crisis center. Data analysis uncovered four themes that capture the survivors’ experience: exercising (and avoiding exercising) fosters safety, exercising is risky, past trauma restricts exercise choices, and exercising is beneficial. Survivors’ choices related to exercise were found to be conscious and deliberate and were impacted by their stage of recovery. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

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Bitenga, Ali. "Hidden survivors of sexual violence : challenges and barriers in responding to rape against men in Eastern DRC." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för samhällsstudier (SS), 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-104956.

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Most studies on sexual violence against men focus on forms, causes and consequences of this phenomenon giving little/or no attention to complex challenges and barriers affecting access to care for survivors. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with service providers, male survivors and from focus group discussions with community members in Eastern DRC, this thesis set out to explore challenges and barriers related to meeting the needs of male survivors of sexualized violence. Findings were interpreted through the lenses of ecological and gender theories and through hegemonic masculinity and holistic care model concepts. Generally, findings show that gender beliefs regarding masculinity and rape, lack of information about care programmes for male survivors, a dysfunctional justice system, distance from home to care programs and insecurity were perceived as major impediments to care access for male survivors. While masculinity constituted a barrier to health care for most male survivors, this thesis shows that it can also facilitate access to health care for some survivors. Discussion and analysis of the findings point out to a systemic inattention around the issue of sexual violence against men reinforcing barriers to health care. The thesis shows that existing responses have mainly been designed to address sexual violence against women and need to be re-adapted to male survivors without losing focus on female survivors as they suffer most from sexual violence.

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Baughman, Benjamin. "A study of rape investigation files involving female survivors : a comparison of allegations deemed false and genuine." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2016. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/27856/.

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Determining the veracity of a rape allegation in the absence of incontrovertible evidence is highly problematic and complicated by vagaries of surrounding issues. The purpose of the present study was to utilise a unique, multi-faceted approach with a representative US complete dataset (n=351) to identify the most prominent, distinguishing characteristics between genuine and false allegations. There are reasons to suggest that false allegations will be distinguishable from genuine rapes. The reasons include psychological dynamics such as a false allegers’ (not a survivor of rape) reliance on rape myths for their fictitious account. In contrast, genuine reports of rape tend to encompass more specific behavioural details. 17% of the present population were objectively determined to be fabricated. Published results have indicated genuine rapes having a higher quantity and quality of reported actions. Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) was used to identify and categorise co-occurring behaviours, finding thematic consistency in genuine rapes. In contrast, false allegations revealed an erratic structure indicative of the fabricated stories’ reliance on rape myths. Thematic structures are consistent with published findings which lends support to the grouping procedure utilised for this thesis. Additionally, a mean number of 6.6 behaviours in false allegations compared to the 9.3 behaviours controlled by the offender in genuine cases were observed. Partial Order Scalogram Analysis with base coordinates (POSAC) allows for using a combination of the most reliably distinguishing characteristics across cases. A developed model provided a unique method of exploring the qualitative and quantitative variations across cases. The eight most distinguishing behaviours were used to calculate a Behavioural Profile Score (BPS) for each incident and supported published results. As another potential means of assessing plausibility, analysis showed that genuine reports of rape contained greater detail as measured by the number of specific behaviours described. Although this thesis has various limitations, the results of three very distinctly different procedures all indicate distinguishable characteristics between genuine and false allegations. Additionally, it demonstrates the significance of myths in shaping actions and provides indications to why so many cases are indeterminate.

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Trenholm, Jill. "Women Survivors, Lost Children and Traumatized Masculinities : The Phenomena of Rape and War in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Internationell mödra- och barnhälsovård (IMCH), 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-204430.

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This thesis aims to investigate the phenomenon of war rape in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in order to understand the dynamics, contextual realities and consequences of its perpetration. Practical and theoretical knowledge is generated which is relevant for health care interventions, humanitarian assistance and peace initiatives, that are cognizant of the actual needs of the affected populations. The study employed ethnographic methodology involving prolonged engagement with the field, participant observation, formal and informal interviews, keeping of field notes and the continuous practice of reflexivity. The four papers in this thesis represent formal interviews with participants from three distinct groups: local leaders (Paper I), ex-child soldier boys (Paper II) and women survivors of sexual violence (Paper III & IV). Qualitative Content Analysis was used for the interview study with local leaders (Paper I). Findings from this study reveal how mass rape and the methods of perpetration create a chaos effectively destroying communities. The leaders draw attention to the fact that an exclusive focus on raped women misses other structural factors that contribute to war and sexual violence, factors such as the global political economy, international apathy, the stance of the church, effects of militarization, inappropriate aid and interpretations of gender roles. Through the theoretical lenses of militarised masculinity and gender based violence, interviews with ex-child soldier boys, seen as both victims of war as well as proxy perpetrators of sexual violence, were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed the systematic and violent construction of children into soldiers, inculcating a rigid set of stereotypical hyper-masculine behaviors promoting dominance by violating the subordinate “other”. These findings argue for a more complex, contextualized view of the perpetrator resulting from the ways society has (re)constructed gender, ethnicity and class. Papers III and IV reflect the interviews and narratives provided by women survivors. Guided by thematic analysis and a matrix of theories: Structural violence, Intersectionality and “new wars”; Paper III bears witness to the women’s expressions of their profound losses and dispossession as they struggle to survive stigmatization in the impoverished margins of the warzone, along with children born of rape. The perpetrator is cited here as well as by the leaders as predominantly Interhamwe. Payne’s Sites of Resilience model used in Paper IV situates stigmatized women survivors suffering in a global context as they navigate survival, demonstrating resilience in the margins through support from their faith in God, scarce health services, indigenous healing and strategic alliances. Findings suggest that collaborations of existing strengthened networks, ie: the church, healthcare and indigenous healers, could extend the reach of sustainable and holistic support services, positively effecting already identified sites of resilience. Findings draw attention to the challenges faced by public health in addressing mass trauma. Women’s raped bodies represent tangible material damage, embedded in a matrix of globalization processes and structural violence involving gender, ethnicity and class. This requires serious reflection.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Rape survivors'

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