How do people develop psychological defenses after experiences of sexual coercion?
When it comes to understanding how people develop psychological defenses against traumatic events, researchers have typically focused on military combat veterans and victims of natural disasters.
There is also growing evidence that certain types of interpersonal violence can be equally devastating to mental health. One such form of interpersonal violence is sexual coercion, which refers to any situation where an individual is pressured or forced into engaging in sexual behavior without their consent. While there are many different forms of sexual coercion, including rape, date/acquaintance rape, and marital rape, they all share one common characteristic: They cause significant psychological distress and can leave lasting impacts on victims' lives.
Research has shown that individuals who experience sexual coercion often develop a range of psychological defenses as a way to manage and mitigate the effects of the trauma. These include avoidant coping strategies like avoiding reminders of the event, denial, and numbing out; cognitive-behavioral approaches like rationalizing the experience or blaming themselves for it; and even more extreme measures like self-harm or substance abuse.
Some victims may become hypervigilant to potential future threats, while others might engage in risky behaviors in order to regain a sense of control over their lives.
Despite the prevalence and complexity of these responses, very little is known about how individuals actually develop them. To explore this further, we conducted a qualitative study with 10 female survivors of sexual assault (n 3), domestic violence (n 4), childhood sexual abuse (n 2), and military rape (n 1). We used semi-structured interviews to gather data on participants' thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to their traumatic events, as well as any psychological defenses they had developed in response.
What we found was fascinating. First, all participants reported feeling immense shame and guilt after their traumas, which led many of them to internalize the blame and feel responsible for what happened. They also talked about feeling isolated and alone in their experiences, leading them to avoid talking about it with anyone else. Second, most participants reported developing anxiety and depression, which they described as making it difficult to trust other people and form healthy relationships. Third, several participants mentioned using alcohol or drugs to numb out from their pain, which created new problems but also helped them cope with their symptoms temporarily.
Nearly all participants discussed feeling helpless and powerless, leading them to seek out ways to gain back a sense of control over their lives—even if that meant taking unnecessary risks.
Our findings suggest that victims of sexual coercion may develop a range of complex psychological defenses in order to manage their trauma, some of which can be maladaptive and even self-destructive. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for providing effective treatment and support to those who have experienced this type of violence. With further research, we hope to shed more light on how individuals develop such defenses and identify potential interventions that can help them heal and move forward in life.
How do individuals develop psychological defenses after experiences of sexual coercion?
Many factors influence how an individual develops psychological defenses following sexual coercion, including their past experiences, current stressors, cultural context, social support, and coping strategies. Research suggests that some common patterns may emerge among survivors of sexual assault, such as feeling guilt, shame, fear, anxiety, anger, numbness, confusion, or self-blame.