Narrative Constructions of Sexual Violence as Told by Female Rape Survivors in Three Populations of the Southwestern United States: Scripts of Coercion, Scripts of Consent

Abstract

There is a growing literature on the narrative construction of rape as sexual violence. This is puzzling, since, in certain contexts, violence may stifle narrative production. Researchers of atrocities, for example, propose that the experience of recurring terror disrupts narrative cohesion in reporting lived trauma. Genocidal horror occurs in the context of communities and ethnic groups. Our rape survival data from women of three populations in the southwestern United States reflect traumas of sexual violence against women, experienced within everyday lives. From interviews with 62 female rape survivors, we (1) identify narrative conventions and linguistic devices to show how these women structure accounts of sexual assault that reflect their cultural background; (2) contrast scripts of coercion and consent; (3) examine how the way in which these women describe the coercive actions of the perpetrator(s) contradicts the assumptions of legal discourse; and (4) discuss the narrative production of several women in abusive relationships and compare it to the narrative production (or lack thereof) of persons who experience state-engineered terror.

Risky Situation or Harmless Fun? A Qualitative Examination of College Women’s Bad Hook-up and Rape Scripts

“…For example, it has been theorized, and some research supports, that Latina women may hold more "stereotypical" (e.g., a violent, stranger assault) rape scripts than European American women (Littleton et al 2007a). This could be because Latina women are less likely to be a recipient of a victim's disclosure than European American women (Bletzer and Koss 2004;Ramos-Lira et al 1999), and thus may have less well-elaborated rape scripts (e.g., relying on media depictions of rapes). In addition, Latinas tend to hold more traditional gender role attitudes (Kane 2000) than European Americans, which has been associated with adherence to stereotypical beliefs about rape (Muehlenhard and MacNaughton 1988).…”

Rape Scripts of Low-income European American and Latina Women

“…Latinas may be less likely than European Americans to know someone who was raped because Latina victims appear to be even less comfortable than women of other ethnic groups disclosing a rape experience. Indeed, focus group research has shown that Latina women often are uncomfortable discussing the topic of rape and are less likely than European Americans to provide to others a detailed description of rape in general or of their own rape experience in particular (Bletzer & Koss, 2004;RamosLira, Koss, & Russo, 1999). Thus, even if Latinas have had someone disclose a rape experience to them, the disclosure may have been vague and lacking in detail.…”

The Components of Cultural Match in Psychotherapy

“…Previous studies (e.g., Bletzer & Koss, 2004), have found that Latina women are uncomfortable discussing the topic of rape and are less likely than European Americans to disclose rape experiences. Based on the cultural value of women's chastity, discussing rape could be difficult for Latinas, particular when disclosing to a therapist from the same culture.…”