Making Sense of Offence Related Trauma: Exploring Two Patients Lived Experience

Abstract

Offence related trauma refers to a trauma reaction following the perpetration of a violent offence. This research explores the lived experience of offence related trauma, in two forensic patients. The meaning and understanding these individuals make of their own coping strategies, triggers and treatment and how this contributes to their behaviour was explored using a semi-structured interview and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two super-ordinate themes emerged from the data: ‘Journey to Forgiveness’ and ‘Living with the Whole Me.’ These themes and their subthemes highlight the nuances of offence related trauma and raise the question of how processes such as complicated grief and associated shame can impact on recovery and rehabilitation. The implications of the findings for professionals providing treatment in forensic settings are considered.