“That Was the Worst Experience of My Life – My Mother’s Response. Much, Much Worse than What the Man Did”: An Exploration of Informal Disclosures of Sexual Violence.

: (Alternative Format Thesis)

Abstract

This thesis is a victim-survivor led study exploring the ways in which friends, family members and partners respond to informal disclosures of sexual violence and the impact of these responses, from the perspective of the victim-survivor, with an emphasis on voice, inclusivity and intersectionality.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 victim-survivors of sexual violence (child sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault) highlighting various ways in which victim-survivors were not heard, understood and validated. These include disclosure respondents: justifying and rationalising victimisation; not taking impact seriously; questioning, doubting, or disbelieving the victim-survivor; blaming, reacting with anger and seeking to control the victim-survivors.

In contrast, acknowledgment and affirmation; active listening; maintaining victim-survivors’ sense of control; empathy, compassion and care; continued, changing and tailored support are instrumental in victim-survivors feeling heard, validated and understood. In addition, this thesis illuminates an array of interlocking and persistent barriers to disclosure including, personal challenges (feelings of shame and guilt; lack of recall, recognition and acceptance; language and communication barriers; and the impact of victimisation) and inter-personal challenges (disclosure responses and outcomes; protection of others; a lack of understanding; difficult nature of SV; and circumstances of victimisation).

Finally, the ways in which victim-survivors approach and engage in the complex process of informal disclosures are considered, including gradual disclosure; prompted disclosure; disclosure carried out by others; descriptive but unacknowledged disclosure; partial disclosures; delayed disclosure and non-disclosure.

In light of these findings, the following recommendations are made: updating rape myth acceptance measures and literature to reflect the diversity of victim-survivors; inclusive and accessible educational initiatives to address the challenges to informal disclosure, as well as unsupportive/harmful responses.

Date of Award	4 Dec 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Tina Skinner (Supervisor), Jeremy Dixon (Supervisor) & Fenton Rachel (Supervisor)