Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Sept. 12, 2006). Advisor: Stevan E. Hobfoll. Keywords: child abuse; HIV; sexual risk; high-risk behaviors; PTSD; sexual assault; rape. Includes survey instrument. Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-47).

A dissertation submitted in full compliance with the requirements for a Masters Degree in Technology: Nursing at Durban Institute of Technology, 2005. / There has been an increase in child/girl rape in South Africa, Statistics of child rape have shown that a child was being raped every 25 minutes in South Africa (Child Protection Unit, S.AP.S., 1999). The numbers of child rapes has increased from 12% in 1998 to 19,94% in 2001 (Taylor, 2002). Reports indicated that in some instances, child rape was being carried out as a cure for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Kufwa, 1998). / M

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Despite community policing interventions, rape incidence in South Africa reflects a consistent increase over the past decade. Victim blame continues to be a pervasive aspect of this trauma - where society blames the victim more than the perpetrator for the rape. In unpacking the complexities of victim blame, research has identified sex role orientation of the observer as an important variable. Given that the polic service is often the first contact a rape victim has with the criminal justice system, this study investigated how sex role orientation impacts on rape victim blame in a sample of police officers. / South Africa

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust is an organisation that trains and supervises a team of women counsellors who provide a counselling service to women rape survivors. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of the counsellors and the counselling co-ordinator regarding their perceptions on whether the training provided by the personal growth and counselling skills course is adequate in dealing with rape and its complexities. / South Africa

The prevalence of rape in South Africa has reached epidemic proportions. The experience of shame in a rape victim may impact on issues such as disclosure and avoidance (which increases posttraumatic stress severity (PSS)). It is also known that other cognitive vulnerabilities such as anxiety sensitivity, rumination, looming cognitive style, and attribution style impacts the severity of traumatic stress. These vulnerabilities overlap with the experience of shame conceptually. It remains unclear whether shame has a direct relationship with severity or whether it influences other dynamics that eventually contributes to increases in (PSS). 37 female adult rape survivors from a local NGO completed a biographical questionnaire and a variety of quantitative measures of shame (Experience of Shame Scale (ESS)), PSS (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire – Revised (HTQ-R)), anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Index – 3(ASI-3)), rumination (Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ)), looming cognitive style (Looming Maladaptive Style Questionnaire (LMSQ)), and attribution style (Attribution Style Questionnaire (ASQ)). Initial explorations were done to determine the cross-group equivalence of these measures since it was the first time some of them were used in South Africa (and exclusively on rape survivors). The construct, semantic, and metric equivalence findings are reported for each measure. In this regard all measures apart from the ASQ had good internal consistency but factor analyses indicated that the measures are more reasonably seen to measure single factor constructs rather than the configuration presupposed by the constituent subscales. The evidence indicates that total scores may be used with some confidence in the construct validity and internal consistency of these measures (with the exception of the ASQ), but that subscale scores should not be over interpreted. Furthermore, the presence of cognitive constructs within the sample was explored and it was found that high levels of shame, PSS, and the cognitive vulnerabilities were present. Finally a multiple regression and concomitant analyses indicated that only knowing the perpetrator had any influence on the variables under study and that shame and rumination accounted for the largest amount of variance in PSS.

Posttraumatic growth, defined as positive psychological changes in the aftermath of adversity and suffering, is a relatively recent focus in psychological research. The addition of this concept to the literature has provided a new, more resiliency-based framework through which to view survivors of various forms of trauma. Despite estimates that over half of all sexual assaults are not reported to the authorities, current crime statistics indicate that 1 in 4 women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime (Campbell & Wasco, 2005). Given the large percentage of the population that is impacted by sexual assault, it is essential that professionals better understand the factors that influence the successful healing and growth that can occur post-trauma. The purpose of this study was to further expand the literature on posttraumatic growth in sexual assault survivors by considering this phenomenon through the lens of attachment theory. Specifically, this study tested a proposed model of the inter-relationships among subjective and objective perceptions of threat during the sexual assault, adult romantic attachment, and posttraumatic growth. It was hypothesized that adult romantic attachment and parent-child attachment would mediate the relationship between subjective, or perceived threat, defined as the victim's perception of life threat, and objective threat, defined as the severity of the sexually aggressive act perpetrated on the victim, and posttraumatic growth. Finally, it was hypothesized that subjective threat appraisal would better predict posttraumatic growth than objective threat appraisal. Contrary to hypotheses, results of the study indicated that adult romantic attachment and parent-child attachment did not mediate the relationship between subjective and objective threat appraisal and posttraumatic growth. Thus, both path analytic models were not viable. However, exploratory analysis indicated that both subjective and objective threat appraisal were directly related to posttraumatic growth, with subjective perceived threat appraisal accounting for more of the variance.

The current case involves a female rape victim. Research has shown the level of victim blaming can be elevated if the victim is a lesbian woman compared to a heterosexual woman. Mock jurors’ responses to personality trait questionnaires (e.g., Belief in a Just World, Attitudes Toward Women, Attitudes Toward Lesbians) and amount of contact they have with homosexual people were employed as predictors of how they would decide victim blaming and perpetrator guilt. Personality trait findings were not good predictors; however, greater contact with homosexuals did decrease negative attitudes toward lesbian victims. Limitations and implications for future research are addressed.

The #MeToo movement was established as a grassroots initiative in Brooklyn by Tarana Burke, as a way to bring awareness to the commonality of sexual violence towards African American women. Despite the awareness brought by the movement, it was virtually not inclusive of men who have experienced sexual violence. This study intends to provide educators an understanding of this phenomenon, as well as provide practitioners, scholars, and organizations supporting gay male rape survivors a qualitative perspective beneficial to enhance support systems in order to foster post-traumatic growth. This study answered questions of how participants described their experience of having been raped; how learning revealed itself during the participants’ journey towards post-traumatic growth; and what factors participants described that helped and/or hindered their ability to manage the experience, learn, and develop towards post-traumatic growth. Six individual in-depth cases are presented; each participating in a two-hour interview. Using Lifelines and Nohl’s (2015) five phase analysis of the unfolding of deep learning over time, this study demonstrated that Transformative Learning revealed itself throughout each of these cases. As described by O’Sullivan et al. (2002), Transformative learning is “[an] experiencing [of] a deep, structural shift in the basic premises of thought, feeling, and actions. It is a shift of consciousness that dramatically and permanently alters our way of being in the world. Such a shift involves our understanding of ourselves and our self-locations; our relationships with other humans and with the natural world; our understanding of relations of power in interlocking structures of class, race, and gender; our body-awareness; our visions of alternative approaches to living; and our sense of the possibilities for social justice and peace and personal joy.” The study provides insight into the various systems and social relationships that help and/or hinder the interviewees’ learning experience, as well as how they managed their lives along the way. Moreover, this study demonstrates that Transformative Learning can take over 20-years, as well as that the process requires recalibration after encountering obstacles as learners journeyed towards post-traumatic growth.

In 2009, South African police statistics revealed that more than 68 332 women were raped in the country. The evidence from independent researchers has shown that SAPS statistics are highly susceptible to under-reporting and the actual figure is more than double this amount. One pervasive feature of the phenomenology of rape is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a highly debilitating condition with severe individual and societal costs. The condition takes a critical toll on occupational functioning, schooling and personal relationships and is associated with depression, suicide risk, self-harming behaviours and alcohol-abuse problems. The Ehlers and Clark (2000) cognitive model represents the most efficacious treatment for PTSD but the approach is severely under-utilised by South African practitioners working with sexual trauma. The reasons for such under-utilisation relate to a lack of exposure and training surrounding the model and concerns about the transportability of the treatment to a multi-cultural context. One method of addressing these barriers to treatment delivery is through systematic case-based research. Systematic case-based research offers a complementary means of refining theory and developing evidence-based practice in the context of a developing country. The method offers an intensive analysis and description of the particular phenomena under study within its real-life context. It allows the researcher to intensively examine and identify the specific aspects of the therapist’s responses and client’s reactions that contributed to significant change. Unlike efficacy studies, generalisability in case-study research is based on replication on a case-by-case basis and the creation of case law. This research study uses a systematic-case study approach to investigate the applicability of the Ehlers and Clark (2000) model in the treatment of rape-related PTSD in South Africa. The study aims to demonstrate the transportability of the model and develop a needed evidence base for service providers in the country. Seven women participated in the project and lent their treatment process to the research. The participants varied in terms of age, race, culture, socio-economic status and the nature of their sexual trauma. Through synoptic thematic analysis of their therapy process specific client-related personal aspects, client-related contextual factors and state-level factors were found to impede treatment delivery and implementation. The implications of these aspects for clinical practice and social policy are comprehensively discussed.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the existing procedures that investigators in South Africa follow in utilising the information contained in the victim statement in the investigation of rape, with the intention of determining the strengths and weaknesses of the procedures and of considering how these procedures can be improved. The researcher explored how investigators internationally use information contained in the victim statement in the successful investigation of rape and read extensively on the topic in international literature sources. The researcher also evaluated the current methods that investigators within the South African Police Service (SAPS) use. The researcher made use of an empirical research design because of the limited information available on the topic of the research, and a qualitative research approach, which enabled real-life observations. Simple random sampling was used to select 20 uniform members as well as 20 investigators of rape incidents for interviewing. Purposive sampling was used to select two public prosecutors attached to the Sexual Offences Court. Data were obtained from their real-life experiences through interviewing them and data were further collected through case studies of case dockets. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)