Lived Experiences of Sexual Violence

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of how individuals who have experienced sexual violence understand their experience(s). A feminist, mixed-methods approach was used to better capture the wide range of experiences of my participants. Data was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with ten individuals who have experienced sexual violence, and a reflective auto-ethnographical analysis of the author’s own lived experiences. Secondary sources used to contextualize the findings include sociological and feminist literature on various aspects of sexual violence. Using the ten interviews, as well as my auto-ethnography, I analyze eight common themes: (1) definitions of sexual violence; (2) consent; (3) identification as victim/survivor/something else; (4) blame; (5) lack of faith in the justice system; (6) rape myths; (7) violence as continuous, and finally; (8) the need for education. For the ten participants in my study, as well as myself, the subject of sexual violence needs more dialogue. This thesis provides a beginning point.