Turning points from victim to survivor: an examination of sexual violence narratives

ABSTRACT

Sexual violence is a pervasive issue in contemporary culture, however, the tangible experiences of those affected is often ignored or misrepresented. Research shows that labeling oneself as a survivor creates a sense of empowerment, and yet, there is limited research about how an individual navigates the transition from self-perceived victimhood to survivorship. To address this gap, I examine the turning points—or patterns of change—following sexual violence to better understand this transition. I use qualitative content analysis alongside feminist standpoint theory to analyze the survivor stories on RAINN’s website. I specifically look at how individuals articulate their experiences following sexual violence. The results indicate three turning points in this transition, including social support, reclaiming one’s story, and understanding that healing does not have a set timeline. These results also demonstrate that the self-perception of survivorship is not instantaneous, and further, that survivorship comes in many forms.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual violence
• victim
• survivor
• turning points
• feminist standpoint theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Here, I used the terms “victim” and “survivor” to demonstrate the spectrum of healing following a sexually violent experience. Based on research by T. Spry (1995), I contend that that there is no correct or universal way to articulate one’s experiences. Further, I do not perceive this spectrum to have a beginning and end, but rather, represent the continuous process of healing following a sexually violent experience.

2. Although feminist standpoint theory focuses on the experiences of women, this study also uses standpoint literature to examine the narratives of men and LBGTQ+ people. While this theory only used the term “women,” it also applies to men’s experiences given that they are often devalued and held to oppressive patriarchal ideas that shame and blame. Further, Serano (2013) contends that the tendency of mainstream feminism to exclude transfolk experiences only perpetuates the system of oppression.

3. Here, individuals might not have necessarily referred to themselves as victims, but they described a time when they were not empowered and blamed themselves.

4. Given that the survivors chose to post their stories on RAINN’s website as part of a campaign, there was no need to disidentify the names of posters.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Madison A. Pollino

Madison A. Pollino is a doctoral student in Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University. Madison’s research uses critical and feminist frameworks to examine the role of culture in contemporary discourses regarding gendered violence. She is interested in how hegemonic representations of gender, race, and class influence societal perceptions of sexual violence as well as one’s decision to disclose their experiences in interpersonal relationships. E-mail: [email protected]