Affiliation:
1. Department of Psychology Centre for Social Issues Research University of Limerick Limerick Ireland
2. School of Psychology University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
3. School of Psychology Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
Abstract
AbstractRecent research indicates that social identities play a crucial role in the connection between adversity, post‐traumatic stress, and overall psychological well‐being. Understanding of how trauma influences collective dimensions of the self, positively or negatively, is limited. This study focuses on analysing publicly accessible narratives of four women who chose to waive their anonymity after the conviction of the men who had attacked and sexually assaulted them in Ireland. Thematic analysis highlighted two themes that signal (i) collective dimensions to this personal trauma, (ii) attempts to reconstruct social identities in the aftermath of trauma. Women presented their experiences as having the potential to amplify positive connections with others despite the wider embedded sociocultural understanding of sexual assault. These changes were associated with redefinition of social identities. Discussion highlights the potential for personal and intimate trauma to result in positive social identity change; a phenomenon that we label collective post‐traumatic growth.
Funder
European Research Council
Cited by
3 articles.
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