Browsing by Subject "Sexual assault"
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Item Beyond Tahrir : women in Egypt battle sexual harassment and assault(2013-12) Jukam, Kelsey Rebecca; Lawrence, Regina G., 1961-Since the 2011 revolution, the media has given much attention to the problem of sexual harassment and assault in Egypt. Attacks against female journalists and protestors have thrust the issue into the international spotlight, but it is a problem that has plagued Egypt for years. The majority of women in Egypt face some kind of sexual harassment everyday. This report is about the men and women who are working to stop sexual harassment and assault in Egypt.Item Getting in the way : new approaches to rape joke discourse and women’s comedy about sexual violence(2023-08-03) Cacace, Katharine M.; McClearen, Jennifer; Fuller-Seeley, Kathy; Scott, Suzanne; Haggins, BambiOne of the most visible pop culture discussions about the relationship between comedy and sexual violence is the construct of the rape joke, a discourse of power and gender that—to use a phrase plucked from stand-up comic Cameron Esposito’s special on this topic—gets in the way of fully understanding how feminism shapes comedy, and obscures novel ways that women speak about their lives. This dissertation builds upon a definition, advanced by Nicola Gavey and Jane Ward, of sexual violence as ingrained within the practices of heterosexuality and develops a feminist ethical framework I call “walking together” to explore rape jokes in women’s stand-up specials, albums, and joke books that sit outside the boundaries of typical rape joke discourse. I examine Phyllis Diller’s books about housework and marriage in the white midcentury American middle-class home as an example of subtle, sneakily feminist, possibly liberating comedy about sexual violence, while my analysis of Iliza Shlesinger’s self-declared feminist stand-up comedy specials finds damaging rape myths. Further, using Sienkiewicz and Marx’s theory of the interconnected right-wing comedy complex, I question whether Shlesinger’s comedy might serve a possible point of entry into political conservatism for white women who are open to something that sounds like popular feminism. Finally, I dissect the common comedy metaphor of punching up and punching down that is so often used to analyze the ethics of a joke and, working instead from comedy about sexual assault and sexual coercion by Wanda Sykes, Cameron Esposito, and Natalie Palamides, I offer shadowboxing as an alternative way to view what comedy is and what it can do.Item Men’s experience of abuse in intimate partnerships : impact and implications(2011-05) Gonzalez, Jarod Joshua; Rochlen, Aaron B.; Busch-Armendariz, NoelMen who experience abuse in their relationships can undergo emotional hardships, suffer injuries, and can experience various psychological problems. Cultural gender norms create barriers in receiving the appropriate help men need. Large population based studies show that men do in fact experience incidents of physical and emotional abuse yet men are often overlooked in the domestic violence literature. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important societal problem that needs to be evaluated and addressed for both genders, even if women are the primary victims of IPV. This report will present research regarding the prevalence of female-perpetrated abuse and discuss implications within the literature. The impact and consequences IPV has on men will be reviewed as well as barriers men face in getting help. New questions will be posed that need addressing and practical implications will be provided for researchers and mental health practitioners.Item Resources for Texas Sexual Assault Survivors: Inventory and Survey Findings on Services, Gaps, and Accessibility(2020-11) Kellison, B.; Sulley, C; Kammer-Kerwick, M.; Susswein, M.; Sookram, S; Dragoon, S.; Camp, V.; Busch-Armendariz, N.Item Staging the campus anti-rape movement : representations of sexual assault and rape culture in U.S. theatre and performance(2021-07-29) Baglereau, Laura Elizabeth; Canning, Charlotte, 1964-; Bonin-Rodriguez, Paul; González-López, Gloria; Heinzelman, Susan; Rossen, RebeccaThis dissertation looks at representations of rape, its aftermath, and rape culture in performance(s) within the campus anti-rape movement in the United States. I analyze three types of performance: protests, performance art, and interactive prevention plays. I argue for the importance of studying such representations, in part, because sexual assault—and the perception of sexual assault—is, and has been, a continuing problem in U.S. culture. Throughout the dissertation my analysis not only considers how and in what ways these representations understand concepts of rape culture but also the current paradigm of rape in which they were created and performed. I draw conclusions about the ways these representations affect the national imaginary about sexual assault, rape culture, victim-survivors, and rapists. As such, this work contributes to the field of rape studies, sociology, and performance studies. By situating this dissertation among and between these fields I demonstrate how a consideration of representations of sexual assault can contribute to our understanding of rape, the sociology of sexual violence, and social movements. The introduction provides a brief overview of the anti-rape movement. I argue for a turn away from the wave metaphor to categorize different periods of the feminist movement in order to better track the dis/continuities within the anti-rape movement since the late 1960s. Chapter one examines campus anti-rape protests as performances. I use a performance studies lens to read the ways these protests represent the movement’s demands for change from university administration, federal policy, and rape culture. The next chapter focuses on performance art by individual artists and artist-survivors as acts to raise awareness as well as process their experiences with sexual assault. The third chapter analyzes interactive prevention plays for the ways they provide undergraduate students with opportunities to develop empathy for victim-survivors, rehearse bystander intervention, and practice verbally negotiating consent. I argue these prevention plays point to a shift in the anti-rape movement from a fear-based rhetoric to a pro-consent discourse.Item Stephanie Drenka Interview(2022-08-19) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Stephanie Drenka is a writer and non-profit founder living in Dallas, TX. Stephanie talks about her life as a transracial adoptee and her relationship with Korea and the Korean culture of her biological family. She shares her experiences of racism and her involvement in Asian and Korean activism and history spaces. Stephanie also describes the goals of her non-profit organization the Dallas Asian American Historical Society, and what her work looks like and draws inspiration from. Content Warning: The following interview contains sensitive material. Please note that the interview includes discussion of anti-Asian racial slurs. These subjects will be discussed at 17:12-18:56 (in the transcript p. 6).Item The relationship between affective appraisal of physiological sexual arousal and sexual dysfunction among women with a history of childhood sexual abuse(2017-07-25) Pulverman, Carey Shayne; Meston, Cindy M.; Dominguez, Juan M; Carlson, Caryn L; Frohlich, Penelope; Hixon, J. Gregory; Holahan, Charles JWomen with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at a higher risk of sexual dysfunction than non-abused women and standard treatments for sexual dysfunction have been less effective in abused women. Although low desire is the sexual difficulty most commonly reported by women in general, for abused women arousal problems are most prevalent. The variation in presentation of sexual dysfunction and treatment response for abused women suggests that the sexual dysfunction of abused women may develop via unique pathways from that of their non-abused peers. The aim of this study was to identify mechanisms underlying the relationship between a history of CSA and sexual dysfunction. Prior work suggests that sexual arousal may be associated with negative affect and trauma memories for abused women, therefore I hypothesized that greater negative and shameful and less positive appraisal of genital sexual arousal would explain the relationship between a history of CSA and sexual dysfunction. I also tested a number of other candidate mechanisms to explain this relationship. Participants were 107 women from the local community: 61 abused women and 46 non-abused women. Participants completed a single laboratory session in which they viewed an erotic film and completed questionnaires on appraisal of genital sexual arousal and other candidate mechanisms. Results supported the notion that the sexual difficulties of abused women develop through distinct pathways by indicating that appraisal of genital sexual arousal and body image focused on sexual attractiveness explain the relationship between a history of CSA and sexual dysfunction. Greater negative appraisal of genital arousal and one’s own sexual attractiveness during sexual arousal could be highly distracting to abused women trying to engage in consensual sexual activity and suggest an extension of Barlow’s cognitive affective model of sexual function to abused women. Although Barlow’s model helps to explain the sexual function of women in general, the current results suggest that the content that distracts women during sexual activity may differ by abuse history. Clinically these findings call for greater attention to negative appraisals of genital arousal and the overall body when treating sexual dysfunction in women with a history of CSA.Item A twin study examining the role of multiple traumas in the sexual assault and substance abuse dialectic(2009-08) Rivaux, Stephanie Leigh; DiNitto, Diana M.; Springer, David W.More than 20 million people in the United States have survived a completed or attempted rape in their lifetimes, and approximately 22.5 million people have problematic substance use. The interplay between these two issues is complex: a history of sexual assault predicts substance abuse and, conversely, substance abuse increases sexual assault risk. This secondary analysis of the Virginia Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders data for White female-female twins (n=1,497) examines the role of multiple traumas in the sexual assault/substance abuse association. Structural models were used to examine pathways between child sexual abuse (CSA), other traumas, familial factors, social support, psychiatric disorders, and substance abuse. The models also integrate the ACE twin design to estimate genetic, shared environment, and individual-specific environment contributions to liability for psychiatric disorders and substance abuse. Study findings support an interplay between childhood trauma, development of substance abuse and psychiatric disorders, and risks for adult victimization. The findings also support assertions that multiple traumas may increase likelihood for substance abuse and psychiatric disorders, and that these disorders predict risk of adult sexual assault. Across all ACE models, both genetics and common environment produced consistently large estimates of influence on liability for substance abuse. Individual-specific environment played a smaller role but was also often significant, and the pathways from trauma variables to both psychiatric disorders and substance abuse tended to be strong. This supports an interaction between genes and environment/experience in which genetic predisposition, though present, may or may not be activated depending on life experiences. Study findings underscore the need for integrated services for clients with history of multiple traumas and for clients with trauma history and substance abuse or psychiatric disorders.Item Under the radar : posttraumatic stress disorder, sexual assault, and the college woman(2011-05) Langford, Lindsey Ariene; Awad, Germine H.; Rude, Stephanie S.The current report reviews the recent literature on the relationship between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), sexual assault, and the resulting psychological impact on college women. This document is an overview of PTSD and sexual assault as defined in recent literature, and then reviews the significant impact both factors have on the college woman and her surrounding environment. Intervention and prevention strategies for the negative consequences of sexual assault and PTSD are included. Finally, this report provides suggestions for counselors on appropriate treatment and intervention plans for a college campus.Item Understanding the target audience : using demographics and theory to develop communication campaigns for bystander intervention initiatives(2016-06-29) Mabry-Flynn, Amanda Dell; Mackert, Michael; Brownson, Chris; Donovan, Erin; Eastin, Matthew; Bernhardt, JayBystander intervention initiatives are quickly becoming the preferred approach to reducing the high rates of sexual assault on college campuses across the United States. Although research on the effectiveness of bystander intervention is growing rapidly, little attention has been paid to how campus programs can best design strategic mediated communication campaigns to promote and support these efforts. Effective use of mass mediated communication campaigns can reach students who may not be inclined to attend bystander-related events and can begin to influence attitudes and beliefs associated with engaging in bystander behavior. The purpose of this study was to provide an evidence base for creating strategic campaigns that are grounded in theory. To that end, relevant theoretical factors drawn from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) that may be associated with students engaging in bystander behavior were examined. Additionally, individual- and community-level demographics were explored to identify underlying factors that may contribute to differences in TPB beliefs. Findings and implications for communication campaigns are discussed, along with study limitations and opportunities for future research.Item ‘What I have to say is important’ : including youth voices in conversations about sexual violence(2018-05-03) Buchanan, Taylor Marie; Sylvie, GeorgeSexual violence – rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse – impacts youth at an alarming rate. One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Youth are also at risk for dating violence. Twenty-one percent of girls and 10 percent of boys experience dating violence while in high school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But adults have created a culture that discourages youth from saying #MeToo. In determining whether and how to have conversations about sex, some parents and teachers stay silent, others talk too much. Both approaches prevent youth from asking questions about healthy relationships, reporting sexual violence and seeking support if their boundaries are crossed. In such conditions, sexual violence becomes tolerated and normalized. Youth are eager to have their voices heard. Following the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 students and staff inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, survivors vowed #NeverAgain. These high schoolers took to the streets to speak openly against adults failing to protect them from gun violence. Against this backdrop of youth activism, a group of teenagers stepped on stages across Austin, Texas, this spring. They devised a play about healthy relationships and consent, based on their own experiences with sexual violence. From February to April 2018, they performed their play, “Just Ask” 22 times in nine middle schools. Their work as student activists offers a window into one form of peer-led prevention with potential for change. Sexual violence is preventable. Youth do not have to grow up in a culture of shame and silence. To get there, a holistic approach is needed. Talking about it won’t fix the problem altogether. But empowering youth to be active participants in these conversations, seen and heard, is a promising place to start.