Browsing by Subject "Sexual Abuse"
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- ItemOpen AccessConsiderations in the provision of adequate psychological care for the sexually assaulted woman(1981) Levett, AnnIn providing a guide for the use of lay counsellors or professional helpers in assisting the sexually assaulted woman, the importance of understanding the social context in which the assault occurs is emphasised as fundamental in aiding the woman to recover with minimal after-effects in a relatively brief time. The subjective experience of the woman is described, attention being paid to the wide range of sexually assaultive experiences which can occur, with varying effects. The two main elements involved are intimidation (or violence) and bodily intrusions with sexual connotations, in varying combinations. Using the crisis intervention model as framework, because of its accessibility to a wide range of helpers, and its relevance to the acute stress reaction following assault, the psychological effects and practical issues which affect the woman and her important social support networks are outlined. The therapeutic intervention is described, paying attention to helper-related issues, the problems of the woman herself and the likely problems for her significant others. The aim is to facilitate the woman's resumption of pre-crisis levels of psychosocial functioning by providing appropriate supportive understanding, anticipatory guidance and practical information, and facilitating the woman's own adaptive strategies, making use of all available resources, to maximise her recovery potential. Situations in which crisis intervention strategies are inadequate are described to enable the helper to make decisions regarding referral of the woman for more skilled and intensive therapeutic intervention; this too, must take cognisance of the social context of sexual assault. Recommendations are made regarding further research, and the development of existing, and of new facilities to aid the sexually assaulted woman and to reduce the incidence and traumatic after-effects of these encounters. Finally, case material is appended to illustrate the themes discussed.
- ItemOpen AccessExploring women's experiences of abuse and communication within intimate heterosexual relationships in a low-income semi-rural community(2008) Gardiner, Desiree; Boonzaier, FlorettaThis study is a qualitative exploration of women's experiences of abuse and communication within intimate relationships. How women remain in abusive relationship is explained by how they construct and give meaning to the relationship. Strategies for surviving and resisting the abuse, women's perceptions of the abuse; as well as how they construct communication in the relationship, are discussed. Interviews were conducted with 15 women, who volunteered to participate in this study and self-identified as being involved with a physically abusive partner. All the participants were from a particular low-income, semi-rural community in South Africa. Narrative analysis, with particular emphasis on language and discourse, was conducted on unstructured interviews regarding women's relationships with their partners. Interview topics included daily problems, the presence of drugs or alcohol, communication between partners, and their experiences and responses to violence. Women described the different types of abuse they experienced; how they made sense of it; and their attempts to prevent the abuse from occurring. Women also constructed themselves and their partners within particular gender identities and cultural frameworks. The socio-cultural context provided a filter through which women understood their experiences of abuse. Dominant male and female norms were both adopted and resisted by participants, and expressed when women spoke of their interaction and communication with their partners.
- ItemOpen AccessExploring women's experiences of abuse and communication within intimate heterosexual relationships in a low-income semi-rural community(2008) Gardiner, Desiree; Boonzaier, FlorettaThis study is a qualitative exploration of women's experiences of abuse and communication within intimate relationships. How women remain in abusive relationship is explained by how they construct and give meaning to the relationship. Strategies for surviving and resisting the abuse, women's perceptions of the abuse; as well as how they construct communication in the relationship, are discussed. Interviews were conducted with 15 women, who volunteered to participate in this study and self-identified as being involved with a physically abusive partner. All the participants were from a particular low-income, semi-rural community in South Africa. Narrative analysis, with particular emphasis on language and discourse, was conducted on unstructured interviews regarding women's relationships with their partners. Interview topics included daily problems, the presence of drugs or alcohol, communication between partners, and their experiences and responses to violence. Women described the different types of abuse they experienced; how they made sense of it; and their attempts to prevent the abuse from occurring. Women also constructed themselves and their partners within particular gender identities and cultural frameworks. The socio-cultural context provided a filter through which women understood their experiences of abuse. Dominant male and female norms were both adopted and resisted by participants, and expressed when women spoke of their interaction and communication with their partners.