Investigating sexual violence through a social identity lens

Abstract

It is increasingly recognised that the mental health consequences of sexual violence are in part driven by social phenomena. That is, people's responses to sexual violence are driven in part by their social context, including pre-existing conceptualisations of what sexual violence is, and to whom it occurs. My PhD sought to understand this via a social identity approach (SIA). Applying SIA to understand sexual violence is a relatively novel area of application, and as such the overall aim of my PhD was broad: I sought to understand the relationship between social identities and mental health in sexual assault victim-survivors. Within this, I had three sub-questions: 1. How do "victim" and "survivor" identities relate to post-trauma mental health following sexual assault? 2. How do victim-survivors make meaning of their identity in the aftermath of sexual assault? 3. How does disidentification relate to mental health outcomes in sexual assault victim-survivors? My first study used a cross-sectional survey design to survey experiences of sexual violence, mental health outcomes, and social identification with "victims" and "survivors". I found that cumulative sexual trauma positively predicted identification with victims, which in turn predicted extent of post-traumatic stress. Conversely, cumulative sexual trauma predicted identification with survivors, which in turn predicted post-traumatic growth. Taken together, these findings suggested that victim identification was associated with poorer mental health outcomes, whilst survivor identification was associated with more positive mental health outcomes. Following this, it remained unclear how these identities interacted with pre-existing identities to shape mental health, and the meaning derived from these identities. To address this, I interviewed adults who had experienced sexual violence on their relationship to these identities, and their mental health subsequent to their assault(s) experiences. Using reflexive thematic analysis, I identified four broad themes: 1) Identities as a resource for self-protection and self-preservation; 2) Ongoing social isolation: Narrowing of identities; 3) Identity incoherence; 4) The power of (re)connection: Reshaping and expanding identity. These interviews provided insight into how identities help help people making meaning of sexual assault, and also may be impacted by sexual assault experiences. From these interviews, it became clear that a subgroup of people will disidentify from other victim-survivors, and that this may be linked to other forms of disconnection (from the body, other people, and the world). My final study sought to clarify this using a cross-sectional survey design to measure disidentification, dissociation, disembodiment, social isolation, and mental health in a sample of adults who had experienced sexual violence. I found that disidentification from victim-survivors predicted (complex) post-traumatic stress symptoms, and this relationship was mediated by dissociation, social isolation, and disembodiment. In sum, my PhD explored experiences of sexual violence via a social identity lens. I found that social identity processes are closely related to how victim-survivors make meaning of sexual assault experiences. Social identities, such as being a "victim" and "survivor", appear to be profoundly linked to mental health and wellbeing, including one's ability to connect with themselves and others. These findings have implications for supporting victim-survivors following sexual assault. In particular, holistic approaches beyond traditional clinical mental health models to "recovery" from sexual violence may be necessary. Fostering connection to oneself and others, building an understanding of one's identity as a victim-survivor that supports growth, and promoting compassionate conversations about what it means to be a victim-survivor within the public sphere, are all likely to have positive effect. Show more