Beyond the Rape “Victim”–“Survivor” Binary: How Race, Gender, and Identity Processes Interact to Shape Distress

Abstract

Victim" and "survivor" identities are central to discourses on sexual victimization. Activist and academic discourses associate the former with weakness and latter with strength, while centering images and experiences of white women. Yet, little research has explored who identifies as "victims"/"survivors" or how these identities relate to distress. We utilize identity theory to consider how "victim" and "survivor" identities are incorporated into and prioritized within the self among women of color, white women, and men. In a sample of college students who have experienced sexual assault (N = 169), we find identity theory's core conceptscommitment, prominence, and salience-are strongly and positively correlated across identities, suggesting respondents cannot be easily dichotomized into "victims" and "survivors." Indeed, most respondents identified with both identities (44%), while 25% identified as "survivors" only and 11% as "victims" only. As expected, respondents who identify only as "victims" or as "victim/survivors" report greater negative emotions and depression and lower self-esteem than those who identify only as "survivors." The "victim" identity is particularly damaging for men's emotional states, while the "survivor" identity ameliorates distress among women of color. We discuss how these identities interact with social identities and each other.

Finding One's Footing When Everyone Has an Opinion. Negotiating an Acceptable Identity After Sexual Assault

“…By doing this the participants show how they are actively navigating interactions with others after sexual assault, utilizing available help and support in these interactions to facilitate their processes of identity negotiation, while being aware of potential obstacles interactions with others could pose to these processes. The results in this respect concur with current research from the US showing how many survivors embrace an identity of both a victim and a survivor (Boyle and Rogers, 2020 ).…”

“…Resent research suggests that rejecting binary identities such as those described by McKenzie-Mohr and Lafrance (2011) and McKenzie-Mohr (2014), may have become increasingly common. A recent study among American college students reported that as many as 44% of the participants identified themselves as both victims and survivors (Boyle and Rogers, 2020). Moreover, blaming or disbelieving the victim seems to have become less politically acceptable in many societies, including in Norway, which has been described as a "feminine" culture (Hofstede, 2000).…”

Understanding spatial patterns in rape reporting delays

“…Based on the literature, we believe this term better reflects the preferred self-identification of rape survivors. We would also like to point to the ongoing scientific discussion on the differences between the terms [ 3 – 5 ].…”

[De]-Centering the Victim: Police Perceptions of Victims of Sexual Violence through a Comparative Lens of Evidence Collection and Processing

“…Given that the terminology characteristic of investigating and processing these crimes is "victim" and given that "survivor" is often used to refer to those who have been through a process of recovery, we felt it would be most appropriate. Interesting research by Boyle and Rogers (2020) examines the impacts of terminology for persons who have been sexually assaulted (see also, Boyle, 2019 on theorizing "continuum-thinking"). 3.…”

“…Given that the terminology characteristic of investigating and processing these crimes is "victim" and given that "survivor" is often used to refer to those who have been through a process of recovery, we felt it would be most appropriate. Interesting research by Boyle and Rogers (2020)…”