The Social Reconstruction of Sexual Assault by Women Victims: A Comparison of Therapeutic Experiences

In this study, the conventionally accepted view of sexual violence against women as manifested by traditional therapy is contrasted with the feminist perspective represented by feminist therapy and feminist self-help groups for victims of sexual assault. The focus of the research is on the ways in which consumers of different therapies are taught socially to reconstruct their sexual assault experiences. On the basis of intensive interviews with victims of sexual assault or incest who have subsequently experienced therapy, the reconstructions of the assault encouraged by conventional therapeutic approaches are found to differ sharply from those developed in feminist modalities. The conclusion is that conventional therapies for victim of sexual assault tend to perpetuate the existing belief structure about rape and incest by isolating and blaming the victim. In contrast, feminist counselling and feminist self-help groups remove the woman's false sense of guilt, validate the woman's experience with sexual violence, and enable the victim to develop an understanding of the social structural context in which sexual assault occurs.