Surviving in a Rape Culture: An Arts-Based Single-Case Approach Guided by an Interpretivist Paradigm

Background: Sexual trauma can have enduring psychological and social consequences. Creative expression and online disclosure may provide opportunities for meaning-making, while also exposing survivors to further scrutiny and harmful responses. Objective: This study explores how a rape survivor used her publicly shared artwork to process the physical and psychological impacts of sexual trauma, which can have significant short- and long-term effects on overall well-being. Method: An interpretivist, arts-based qualitative single-case study examined five participant-selected artworks and accompanying textual material, interpreted in relation to a broader repository of drawings, captions and participant reflections. Visual semiotic, phenomenologically informed and narrative readings were integrated to examine symbolism, personal meaning and the account of survival. The analysis does not establish clinical treatment effects. Results: Two overarching interpretative themes were identified: rape culture, encompassing betrayal, perpetrator representations and contested survivor identity; and survival, encompassing responses to disclosure and ongoing efforts to live with trauma. Public sharing was described by the participant as a source of expression and validation, alongside potential exposure to negative reactions. Conclusions: This case illustrates the potential value of visual self-expression for understanding one survivor’s meaning-making, and the importance of sensitive, trauma-informed responses. Its findings are interpretative and cannot demonstrate that social media causes recovery or support population-level conclusions.