Graham Katie, Patterson Tess, Justice Tonya, Rapsey Charlene
University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
J Interpers Violence. 2022 Jan;37(1-2):705-725. doi: 10.1177/0886260520916270. Epub 2020 Apr 20.
In this study, we explored older women's reflections on processes of healing related to childhood sexual abuse (CSA). We aimed to answer questions about how childhood trauma was integrated into the life story and to identify factors or coping strategies that aided, or hindered, healing. Participants within this study included 12 women who were aged 60 or older and had reported CSA as adults at the beginning of the research project, 25 years prior. Qualitative interviews were conducted exploring women's reflections on the place of CSA in their lives over time and factors the participants thought were helpful or unhelpful in being able to come to terms with the abuse. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which resulted in three themes related to processes of healing. The themes identified were need for resolution, thinking about it differently, and developing agency over disclosure. The findings show that some form of resolution was needed for the women to recover and move on from their experiences of CSA. The two key strategies used to reach this resolution were reframing their experience or drawing upon positive life philosophies. Decisions around disclosure were also an important part of the healing process, with the women developing an agency over if, and how, they talked to people about their experience. Those women who were not able to make sense of their experience continued to be influenced by the negative feelings and memories associated with the experience. Our findings have implications for health professionals working with those who have experienced trauma. They demonstrate that there are a number of ways that people heal from trauma and find personal resolution across their lifespan.
在本研究中，我们探讨了老年女性对与童年性虐待（CSA）相关的愈合过程的反思。我们旨在回答有关童年创伤如何融入生活故事的问题，并确定有助于或阻碍愈合的因素或应对策略。本研究的参与者包括12名60岁及以上的女性，她们在研究项目开始时（25年前）作为成年人报告了童年性虐待经历。我们进行了定性访谈，探讨女性对童年性虐待在其生活中的地位随时间的变化的反思，以及参与者认为有助于或无助于接受虐待的因素。我们使用主题分析法对数据进行了分析，得出了与愈合过程相关的三个主题。确定的主题是解决需求、以不同方式思考以及在披露方面发展自主性。研究结果表明，女性需要某种形式的解决才能从童年性虐待经历中恢复并继续前行。用于达成这种解决的两个关键策略是重新构建她们的经历或借鉴积极的生活哲学。围绕披露的决定也是愈合过程的重要组成部分，女性在是否以及如何与他人谈论自己的经历方面发展出了自主性。那些无法理解自己经历的女性继续受到与该经历相关的负面情绪和记忆的影响。我们的研究结果对与经历过创伤的人打交道的健康专业人员具有启示意义。它们表明，人们在一生中从创伤中恢复并找到个人解决办法有多种方式。
