Rethinking sexual violence labels: exploring the impact of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ discourse
ABSTRACTBackground: Universities’ responses to sexual violence have faced scrutiny for their lack of proactiveness and their failure to address campus socio-cultural norms that contribute to rape myth acceptance. The labels victim and survivor play a crucial role in shaping attitudes toward sexual v...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2023.2296329 |
| _version_ | 1827389570694512640 |
|---|---|
| author | Brittany O’Shea Rebecca Feicht Marion Brown Matthew Numer |
| author_facet | Brittany O’Shea Rebecca Feicht Marion Brown Matthew Numer |
| author_sort | Brittany O’Shea |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACTBackground: Universities’ responses to sexual violence have faced scrutiny for their lack of proactiveness and their failure to address campus socio-cultural norms that contribute to rape myth acceptance. The labels victim and survivor play a crucial role in shaping attitudes toward sexual violence, but there is limited research on how university students perceive these labels.Objective: This paper explores sexual violence labels and their role in perpetuating rape culture. Undergraduate university students’ beliefs on using the label survivor instead of victim to describe someone who has experienced sexual violence were examined to consider how these labels create societal discourse on sexual violence.Method: The study draws on qualitative data collected from undergraduate students in Canada and the United States through open-response questions in an interactive textbook. Data were analysed and interpreted using a multi-method approach that combined principles of Critical Discourse Analysis and Feminist Poststructuralism. Direct quotes and word clouds from participants’ responses are used as evidence and to visually display discourse.Results: Findings revealed that participants recognised the negative societal discourses associated with the label victim and supported using survivor to challenge perceptions of sexual violence. Despite this, participants expressed hesitancy to adopt the label survivor because of the potential negative implications, such as the label promoting the allocation of individual blame, increasing barriers to justice, and reducing the perceived severity of sexual violence.Conclusions: This study underscores the complexities of sexual violence labels, the influence of language in shaping societal perceptions, and the need for a more comprehensive and equitable approach to responding to sexual violence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:38:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f11d7959ce134aa59dcce1c972c7e6b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:38:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f11d7959ce134aa59dcce1c972c7e6b52024-01-05T12:40:13ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662024-01-0115110.1080/20008066.2023.2296329Rethinking sexual violence labels: exploring the impact of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ discourseBrittany O’Shea0Rebecca Feicht1Marion Brown2Matthew Numer3Faculty of Health, Department of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, CanadaFaculty of Health, Department of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, CanadaFaculty of Health, Department of Social Work, Dalhousie University, Halifax, CanadaFaculty of Health, Department of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, CanadaABSTRACTBackground: Universities’ responses to sexual violence have faced scrutiny for their lack of proactiveness and their failure to address campus socio-cultural norms that contribute to rape myth acceptance. The labels victim and survivor play a crucial role in shaping attitudes toward sexual violence, but there is limited research on how university students perceive these labels.Objective: This paper explores sexual violence labels and their role in perpetuating rape culture. Undergraduate university students’ beliefs on using the label survivor instead of victim to describe someone who has experienced sexual violence were examined to consider how these labels create societal discourse on sexual violence.Method: The study draws on qualitative data collected from undergraduate students in Canada and the United States through open-response questions in an interactive textbook. Data were analysed and interpreted using a multi-method approach that combined principles of Critical Discourse Analysis and Feminist Poststructuralism. Direct quotes and word clouds from participants’ responses are used as evidence and to visually display discourse.Results: Findings revealed that participants recognised the negative societal discourses associated with the label victim and supported using survivor to challenge perceptions of sexual violence. Despite this, participants expressed hesitancy to adopt the label survivor because of the potential negative implications, such as the label promoting the allocation of individual blame, increasing barriers to justice, and reducing the perceived severity of sexual violence.Conclusions: This study underscores the complexities of sexual violence labels, the influence of language in shaping societal perceptions, and the need for a more comprehensive and equitable approach to responding to sexual violence.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2023.2296329Sexual violencerape culturerape mythsuniversity studentspoststructuralismViolencia sexual |
| spellingShingle | Brittany O’Shea Rebecca Feicht Marion Brown Matthew Numer Rethinking sexual violence labels: exploring the impact of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ discourse European Journal of Psychotraumatology Sexual violence rape culture rape myths university students poststructuralism Violencia sexual |
| title | Rethinking sexual violence labels: exploring the impact of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ discourse |
| title_full | Rethinking sexual violence labels: exploring the impact of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ discourse |
| title_fullStr | Rethinking sexual violence labels: exploring the impact of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ discourse |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rethinking sexual violence labels: exploring the impact of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ discourse |
| title_short | Rethinking sexual violence labels: exploring the impact of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ discourse |
| title_sort | rethinking sexual violence labels exploring the impact of victim and survivor discourse |
| topic | Sexual violence rape culture rape myths university students poststructuralism Violencia sexual |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2023.2296329 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brittanyoshea rethinkingsexualviolencelabelsexploringtheimpactofvictimandsurvivordiscourse AT rebeccafeicht rethinkingsexualviolencelabelsexploringtheimpactofvictimandsurvivordiscourse AT marionbrown rethinkingsexualviolencelabelsexploringtheimpactofvictimandsurvivordiscourse AT matthewnumer rethinkingsexualviolencelabelsexploringtheimpactofvictimandsurvivordiscourse |