Surviving Sexual Violence

Victims of sexual assault experience their trauma in different ways, and often one path to recovery and healing is right for one person, but not right for another. While there are some general mental health effects of sexual violence, this book outlines and describes the impact of particular types of sexual violation. Whether the survivor has experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault during adulthood, marital rape, sexual harassment, sex trafficking, or sexual violence within the military, they will find aspects of her experience in these pages. Once survivors understand the ways in which they have been affected, they are introduced to various pathways to surviving sexual violence and moving forward. The chapters provide case examples and specific activities which give a fuller description of the ways survivors can make use of the particular approaches, which include mind-body practices, counseling, group therapies, self-defense training, and others. Anyone who has been a victim of sexual violence, or knows and cares about someone who has, will find relief in these pages, which offer practical approaches to finding balance and healing.

Women's awareness of the threat and reality of sexual violence is now perhaps more than ever publicly acknowledged. Yet this fact continues to be almost wholly ignored. This new study, based on in-depth interviews with 60 women, is the first to cover the experience of a range of forms of sexual violence over women's lifetimes. Drawing on feminist theory, developing a critique of male research and quoting extensively from the women interviewed, it developes feminist thought in several key areas: the similarities and differences between forms of sexual violence; the ways women define their experiences; and the strategies women use in resisting, coping with and surviving sexual violence. The author stresses the importance for all women of recognizing the incidents of sexual violence in their lives and seeing themselves and other women as survivors rather than victims. In highlighting the ways in which the media, the criminal justice system and even the "helping" profess ions contribute to the trivialization of sexual violence, she demonstrates the necessity of women organizing collectively to end this suffering.

This book helps to empower survivors of sexual violation to navigate through the healing process. Sexual violation affects survivors but does not have to dictate their future, and this book shows readers how various paths to healing can help them, not only overcome the trauma of sexual assault, but also thrive as they move on with their lives.

The role of psychotherapists in creating change for survivors of sexual violence can extend far wider than the rooms in which appointments are provided. Psychotherapy with Survivors of Sexual Violence aims to provide psychotherapists with practical guidance that will enable them to work with the prolific societal issue of sexual violence, both in the privacy of clinical practice and the wider world as activists. Erene Hadjiioannou outlines the components of relational psychotherapy necessary to counter the trauma that brings survivors to services, with a particular focus on empowerment and the freedoms that constitute it. The book defines the neurophysiological systems involved in surviving traumatic experiences and common psychological presentations, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Hadjiioannou explains the long-standing challenges of delivering psychotherapy to survivors who have reported to the police from various perspectives: understanding the criminal justice system, note-keeping, and survivors’ experiences of reporting. Barriers to accessing support, including myths, are examined and the book includes interview quotes from a range of survivors as well as fictional case studies throughout. Psychotherapy with Survivors of Sexual Violence will be a key text for psychotherapists of all backgrounds working with survivors, and for mental health professionals in training.

Personal stories of surviving after the trauma of sexual assault. In the era of #MeToo, we’ve become better at talking about sexual assault. But sexual assault isn’t limited to a single, terrible moment of violence: it stays with survivors, following them wherever they go. Through the voices of twelve diverse writers, Whatever Gets You Through offers a powerful look at the narrative of sexual assault not covered by the headlines—the weeks, months, and years of survival and adaptation that people live through in its aftermath. With a foreword by Jessica Valenti, an extensive introduction by editors Stacey May Fowles and Jen Sookfong Lee, and contributions from acclaimed literary voices such as Alicia Elliott, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Heather O’Neill, and Juliane Okot Bitek, the collection explores some of the many different forms that survival can take. From ice hockey to kink, boxing to tapestry-making, these striking personal essays address experiences as varied as the writers who have lived them. With candor and insight, each writer shares their own unique account of enduring: the everyday emotional pain and trauma, but also the incredible resilience and strength that can emerge in the aftermath of sexual assault. Contributors: Gwen Benaway Juliane Okot Bitek Elly Danica Amber Dawn Alicia Elliott Karyn Freedman Heather O’Neill Elisabeth de Mariaffi Lauren McKeon Soraya Palmer Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha Kai Cheng Thom

This is the second edition of a handbook for survivors of child sexual abuse and their helpers, featuring added material on the acknowledgement of survivors' strengths, the effect of sexual abuse on adult female sexuality and therapeutic themes.

The traumatic affects of childhood sexual abuse can remain and recur throughout life for women who have not healed emotionally. This book by a family therapist shares stories from 18 women abused as children, explaining that healing can occur at any stage of life, and that healing, itself, occurs in stages. The author offers guidance to recognize the long-lingering potential affects of childhood sexual abuse including depression, anxiety, dissociation, and chronic shock, and she explains steps to take for recovery. Also presented are letters from women who have healed or are in recovery. Sexual abuse by men, juveniles, and female perpetrators is discussed, as is how children may act out the abusive behavior taught by perpetrators. The incidence of abuse by family members is also addressed. Duncan explains the dual dilemma—moral and legal—that women face in exposing a sexual perpetrator within the family when not protected by the legal system due to statutes of limitations. She also discusses controversial topics including false memory and disclosure of memory to the perpetrator.

This muti-ethnic, multi-generational collection is written directly to and by survivors of sexual violence. Intentionally written in an accessible language appealing to all populations of survivors, allies and activists, Dear Sister mixes genres, bringing letters offering profound and lasting insight into the journey of survivorship together with essays providing substantial analysis around issues pertaining to healing and justice.