Pathways to peace : a phenomenological exploration of the processes of healing and posttraumatic growth following childhood sexual assault

This thesis explored pathways to healing in men and women who experienced traumatic sexual abuse in childhood and considered themselves to be in a place of wellness. The thesis synthesises current knowledge in this area and has produced a number of models with direct implications for clinical practice. This unique work has also contributed to advancing theoretical understanding of healing following sexual assault.

Assessing police classifications of sexual assault reports: A meta-analysis of false reporting rates

The objective of the study was to determine, through meta-analysis, the rate of confirmed false reports of sexual assault to police. The meta-analysis initially involved a search for relevant articles. The search revealed seven studies where researchers or their trained helpers evaluated reported sexual assault cases to determine the rate of confirmed false reports. The meta-analysis calculated an overall rate and tested for possible moderators of effect size. The meta-analytic rate of false reports of sexual assault was .052 (95% CIs .030, .089). The rates for the individual studies were heterogeneous, suggesting the possibility of moderators of rate. However, the four possible moderators examined, year of publication, whether the data set used had information in addition to police reports, whether the study was completed in the U.S. or elsewhere, and whether inter-rater reliabilities were reported, were all not significant. The meta-analysis of seven relevant studies shows that confirmed false allegations of sexual assault made to police occur at a significant rate. The total false reporting rate, including both confirmed and equivocal cases, would be greater than the 5 percent rate found here.

Characteristics of people who assault nurses in clinical practice

This article discusses certain variables relating to the characteristics of people who assault nurses, including patients, relatives and friends. The author suggests that the nature of nurses' occupational roles and responsibilities puts them at risk in their work but that individual or organisational strategies can be developed to minimise this risk.

Resilience and Vulnerability in the Midst of Socio-Political Violence in Northern Ireland: One Family’s Experience of a Paramilitary Style Assault.

This article focuses on the experience of one particular family living amidst the socio-political violence in Northern Ireland to illustrate the impact of a particular traumatic event – a paramilitary assault due to mistaken identity. These attacks are often colloquially referred to as a ‘punishment shootings’ or ‘beatings’. The therapeutic process is described in narrative terms, providing a framework for; understanding the systemic effect on family relationships of the initial problematic ‘storying’ of the event, and the process of ‘re-storying’ a new more coherent narrative that integrates the trauma experience. Thus, temporary family vulnerability becomes transformed into increased family resilience. This process has general applicability in work with traumatized families.

Are mental health services getting better at responding to abuse, assault and neglect?

Objective To determine whether staff responses to abuse disclosures had improved since the introduction of a trauma policy and training programme. Method The files of 250 clients attending four New Zealand mental health centres were audited. Results There was a significant improvement, compared to an audit prior to the introduction of the policy and training, in the proportion of abuse cases included in formulations, and, to a lesser extent, in treatment plans. There was no significant improvement in the proportion referred for relevant treatment, which remained at less than 25% across abuse categories. The proportion of neglect disclosures responded to was significantly lower than for abuse cases. Fifty percent of the files in which abuse/neglect was recorded noted whether the client had been asked about previous disclosure, and 22% noted whether the client thought there was any connection between the abuse/neglect and their current problems. Less than 1% of cases were reported to legal authorities. People diagnosed with a psychotic disorder were significantly less likely to be responded to appropriately. Conclusion Future training may need to focus on responding well to neglect and people diagnosed with psychosis, on making treatment referrals, and on initiating discussions about reporting to authorities.

The Assault on Human Rigths and the Resilience of the Andean Dream: Health Inequities in Ecuador. IV Annual Distinguished Lecture sponsored by the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health; School of Public Health; University of Michigan

The point of departure for these reflections is life, since its protection is the central purpose encouraging the defense of human rights and of public health. Life in the Andes has an exceptional diversity. Particularly in Ecuador, my country, this diversity constitutes a characteristic sign that is expressed in two main forms: natural megadiversity and multiculturalism. Indeed, Ecuador’s small territory synthesizes practically all types of lifezones that exist on Earth, having received the gift of high average rates of solar energy and abundant nutritional sources, which have facilitated the natural reproduction of countless species that show their beautiful vitality in the variety of ecosystems that compose the Andean mountain range, the tropical plains, the Amazon humid forests, and the Galapagos Islands. But besides being a highly biodiverse country, it is also a plurinational and multi-cultural society, in which the activity of human beings, organized into social conglomerates of different historical and cultural backgrounds, have formed more than a dozen nations and peoples. Regrettably this natural and human wealth has not been able to bear its best fruits due to the violent operation of a deep social inequity – unfortunately also one of the highest in the Americas—which conspires against life and is reproduced in national and international inequitable relations. This structural inequity has changed its form throughout the centuries and currently has reached its highest and most perverse level of development.

Unwanted memories of assault: what intrusion characteristics are associated with PTSD?

Intrusive memories are common in the immediate aftermath of traumatic events, but neither their presence or frequency are good predictors of the persistence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two studies of assault survivors, a cross-sectional study (N = 81) and a 6-month prospective longitudinal study (N = 73), explored whether characteristics of the intrusive memories improve the prediction. Intrusion characteristics were assessed with an Intrusion Interview and an Intrusion Provocation Task. The distress caused by the intrusions, their "here and now" quality, and their lack of a context predicted PTSD severity. The presence of intrusive memories only explained 9% of the variance of PTSD severity at 6 months after assault. Among survivors with intrusions, intrusion frequency only explained 8% of the variance of PTSD symptom severity at 6 months. Nowness, distress and lack of context explained an additional 43% of the variance. These intrusion characteristics also predicted PTSD severity at 6 months over and above what could be predicted from PTSD diagnostic status at initial assessment. Further predictors of PTSD severity were rumination about. the intrusive memories, and the ease and persistence with which intrusive memories could be triggered by photographs depicting assaults. The results have implications for the early identification of trauma survivors at risk of chronic PTSD. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Posttraumatic stress disorder following assault: the role of cognitive processing, trauma memory, and appraisals

Two studies of assault victims examined the roles of (a) disorganized trauma memories in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (b) peritraumatic cognitive processing in the development of problematic memories and PTSD, and (c) ongoing dissociation and negative appraisals of memories in maintaining symptomatology. In the cross-sectional study (n = 81), comparisons of current, past, and no-PTSD groups suggested that peritraumatic cognitive processing is related to the development of disorganized memories and PTSD. Ongoing dissociation and negative appraisals served to maintain PTSD symptoms. The prospective study (n = 73) replicated these findings longitudinally. Cognitive and memory assessments completed within 12-weeks postassault predicted 6-month symptoms. Assault severity measures explained 22% of symptom variance; measures of cognitive processing, memory disorganization, and appraisals increased prediction accuracy to 71%.

Collaborative social work practice in opposing paradigms: Issues to emerge from a sexual assault and mental health project

The following paper discusses my experiences of coordinating a community development project to develop collaborative links between a mental health and a sexual assault service. It presents a critically reflective description and analysis of this work to outline how post modern ideas were used to maximise the possibilities of using feminist frameworks in practice.<br />

Correlates of sexual assault in a sample of male African American crack cocaine users

Although numerous studies have reported an association between substance use and sexual assault, little is known about the impact of sexual assault on male African American crack cocaine users. This study found that from a sample of 137 respondents from Houston, Texas, one-third reported having been sexually assaulted at least once during their lifetime. Respondents who reported sexual assault were using cocaine more often and were more likely to be physically dependent on drugs and to report greater numbers of physical health problems due to their drug use. However, no differences were identified in respect of reported mental health problems, or problems with family, friends or the workplace associated with drug use. The findings suggest further research as to the impact of sexual assault on male crack cocaine users is warranted and that clinical staff working with male substance users require some awareness of the impacts of sexual assault.<br />

Who speaks on footballers and sexual assault? A gender analysis of sports reporting

The recent spate of sexual assault allegations made against Australian Football League (AFL) players has generated intense media scrutiny and public concern. Following from similar highly publicised allegations directed at the National Rugby League, these incidents have engendered significant debates around sexism and football culture in the popular press. It is the media&rsquo;s response to allegations of sexual assault made against AFL footballers that will be analysed here. This study offers a content analysis of articles from the sport sections of two major Australian newspapers, The Age and the Herald-Sun, with the aim of assessing the prevalence of women&rsquo;s perspectives on the issue of player misconduct and whether the gender of the reporter has any bearing on gender stereotyping in sport reporting. By assessing how the phenomenon of player misconduct has been covered in sport news, this paper evaluates the media&rsquo;s role in changing dominant attitudes and perceptions of gender relations in Australian society.<br />

An assault on identity : the male view of being made redundant

Participation and success in paid work is a key element of identity for many men. The increased prevalence of downsizing, and the discarding of individuals from organisations, therefore has particular pertinence when considering men&rsquo;s workplace experiences. This paper discusses findings from an exploratory study investigating the experiences of Australian executives who had been made redundant. Three themes related to male identity are presented: the impact on respondents&rsquo; positions as breadwinners for their families; a concern for being seen to be capable and in control; and perceptions of loss of status upon returning to work. These executives expressed feelings of anger, sadness, fear and embarrassment as a result of the assault to their identity. There is a need for continued focus on these experiences and their implications for both men and women, particularly as individuals report undergoing multiple redundancies.<br />

Female university students' perceptions of a sexual assault when victim and perpetrator gender are varied

This study examines the general impressions and blame attributions of Trinidadian university students in cases of sexual assault. Participants were 132 female students from the University of the West Indies, Faculty of Social Sciences. Each respondent read one of four sexual assault scenarios, in which victim and perpetrator gender were varied. Participants' impressions of the incident, opinions about each party's behaviour, blame attributions, attitudes about reporting the incident to the police, desired outcome, and their reasons for these were then assessed. Consistent with Burt's rape myth theory, the qualitative and quantitative results showed a tendency for participants to attribute an internal locus of control to female victims, and to blame them more than males. Although same sex events evoked significantly more emotional and disgust-related reactions, these reactions did not translate into different seriousness scores, or different ideas about whether the victim should report the incident to the police. Although respondents showed an ability to separate their initial reactions from their attitudes about the legal status of the event, many of the response patterns indicated gender role biases on the part of these future professionals.<br />