Trauma Transmission And Sexual Violence

This book grapples with the potential impacts of collective trauma in war-rape survivors’ families. Drawing on inter-ethnic and inter-generational participatory action research on reconciliation processes in post-conflict Bosnia-Herzegovina, the author examines the risk that female survivors of war-related sexual crimes, now-mothers, will breed hatred and further division in the post-conflict context. Showing how the historical trauma of sexual abuse among survivors affects the ideas, perceptions, behavioural patterns and understandings of the ethnic and religious ‘Other’ or perpetrator, the book also considers the influence of such trauma on other attitudes rarely addressed in peacebuilding programmes, such as notions of naturalised gender-based violence, cultural scripts of sexuality and support for dangerous or violent aspects of the patriarchal social order. It thus seeks to sketch proposals for a curriculum of peacebuilding that takes account of the legacy of war rape in survivors’ families and the impact of trauma transmission. As such, Trauma Transmission and Sexual Violence will appeal to scholars of politics, sociology and gender studies with interests in peace and reconciliation processes and war-related sexual violence.

Exploring the conditions under which children, as a function of their own abuse, become abusive themselves. That experiences from childhood affect our behavior in adulthood, especially in the ways we treat our children and intimate partners, is generally accepted. Indeed, theories of intergenerational transmission of violence indicate that if we ourselves have been abused and neglected as children, we will likely be abusive and neglectful to others close to us—thus extending the cycle across generations. However, many individuals who were maltreated as children do not replicate this cycle, and such models make little sense of the individual raised in a “good family” who is violent either as a child or as an adult. These discontinuities of cycles of violence and trauma have challenged professionals and nonprofessionals alike. However, broadening our vision and attending to new areas of research can help to illuminate this conundrum and open up new avenues of intervention. In this book, Pamela Alexander does just that. She proposes that an increased risk for abusive behavior or revictimization, as a function of one’s own experiences of abuse or trauma in childhood, can best be understood through the complementary lenses of attachment theory (focusing on the relationship between the child and the caregiver) and family systems theory (focusing on the larger context of this relationship). That is, what a child acquires from her relationship with a caregiver is not simply a reflection of what she has “learned” from experiencing or witnessing abuse. Rather, it emerges from the child’s felt experience of the relationship itself—on implicit emotional, physical, and neurobiological levels. Alexander founds the book on this multifaceted parent–child attachment relationship and its place in the wider family system, integrating clinical experience with close attention to the long-term neurobiological and epigenetic effects of trauma. She focuses on common outcomes of a history of maltreatment, and of child sexual abuse in particular, including peer victimization, partner violence, parenting problems, and sexual offending. A detailed review of the literature accompanies instructive case examples. Sources of trauma from outside the family, including combat exposure, political terrorism, foster care, and incarceration of parents are considered. Finally, Alexander analyzes the multiple sources of natural resilience—the neurobiological, the individual, the relational, and the social—to enable professionals of all backgrounds to tailor-make effective interventions for interrupting cycles of trauma and violence.

The trauma caused by rape and sexual assault can often be further compounded by unthinking or insensitive comments from people who may judge, disbelieve or disparage the victim. This authoritative resource draws together advice for all people in the helping professions on how to work with victims of rape and sexual violence. The wide-ranging topics cover the effects of rape, male rape, childhood sexual abuse, sex trafficking and prostitution, and sexually transmitted infections, giving best practice advice on how to offer effective and compassionate support to help survivors.

The psycho-social needs of victims of rape and sexual assault are increasingly recognised and there is a need for a critical synthesis of knowledge and practice to support the development of training and best practice in the mental health and sexual health professions. The Trauma of Sexual Assault provides an understanding of the theoretical underpinning of the wide range of clinical problems that can follow sexual assault. Focusing on adult victims of sexual assault, this book brings together research findings, theoretical perspectives and implications for treatment, longer term management, and future policy. * The first text to consider the psychological impact of sexual assault on women and men * Incorporates a comprehensive flow-through model of psychological and social management from the initial presentation of the assaulted person onwards * A much needed reference, accessible to a wide range of professionals Part of the Wiley Series in Clinical Psychology

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 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.

Gender-based sexual violence (GBSV) against women and girls has been woven into societies around the world, resulting in a widespread public health problem. This book explores the impact of GBSV against women and girls across the lifespan and in different cultures and countries to raise awareness to this problem and help decrease stigma.

This important new book explores how to support refugee family relationships in promoting post-trauma recovery and adaptation in exile.