The survivor master narrative in sexual assault

Authors/Creators

Shane D. Muldoon
Sherry Caroline Taylor, Edith Cowan University
Caroline Norma

Abstract

This article is based on data drawn from 90 Victoria Police operational files covering the period 2004-2008. Several thematic responses by sexual assault survivors are described as forming a master narrative of “identity shock.” It is argued that the “minor/serious” sexual assault legal distinction is meaningless to survivors and conceals a shared felt experience. It is also argued that sexual assault is fundamentally a “public issue” of betrayal of citizen trust—not just a collection of “private troubles”—and that effective resolutions require more than individualized therapeutic and criminal justice measures. © 2015, The Author(s) 2015.

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

2016

Publication Title

Violence Against Women

Publisher

SAGE

School

School of Law and Justice

RAS ID

24502

Comments

Muldoon, S. D., Taylor, S. C., & Norma, C. (2016). The survivor master narrative in sexual assault. Violence Against Women, 22(5), 565-587. Available here

Copyright

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