Browsing by Subject "sexual violence"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Kouzes and Posner Lead the Way for Sexual Violence Prevention
    (2015-05) Close, Megan
    This thesis paper looks at how the field of leadership can help improve the overall effectiveness of sexual violence prevention efforts. More specifically, how Kouzes and Posner's five exemplary leadership practices have been, and could be, applied to prevention. These practices are: model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart.
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    Lived Experiences of Men Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse in India: A Phenomenological Exploration
    (2017-12) Sharma, Alankaar
    Adult men survivors of child sexual abuse are an under-studied, under-addressed, and stigmatized population in India. Research on child sexual abuse in India is still in its nascent stages and has not progressed significantly beyond studies of prevalence. Within existing literature, little research has examined how child sexual abuse impacts the lives of boys and men survivors. In this phenomenological study, I sought to understand the lived experiences of Indian men sexually abuse during childhood and the meanings they construct of their abuse experiences. Using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, I conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 11 men who self-identified as having experienced sexual abuse during childhood. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. I identified five superordinate themes: heteropatriarchal social environment, impact of child sexual abuse, meanings of child sexual abuse, disclosure, and perceived relationship between sexual abuse and sexual orientation. Findings indicate the centrality of heteropatriarchy to the experiences of men survivors, with social norms, values and practices regarding masculinity often having a profound impact on how survivors make sense of their abuse experiences. Child sexual abuse can have profound and lasting influences on survivors’ lives in multiple ways, such as through shame and guilt, and silencing and minimization of their experiences by others. Disclosure and talking about abuse experiences is often fraught with challenges for men survivors, not only during childhood but in later life as well. Others’ responses to disclosure are important but unfortunately these are often unhelpful and non-supportive, ranging from offering no response at all to blaming the victim. Finally, findings suggest that many gay, bisexual and queer survivors perceive their sexual orientation to be a consequence of their abuse experiences. In a heteropatriarchal social environment, this can significantly complicate their experiences of abuse as well as of understanding their own sexual orientation. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed.
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    Violence Prevention as a Public Health Goal in Ramsey County, MN: Paths Forward for Equitable, Community-Centered Priority Setting Processes
    (2021-05) Dorman, Amy, R
    Public health priority setting processes through Community Health Improvement Plans at the local level are designed to be community-centered. Yet, debate continues around whether objective, data-driven decision-making or subjective, person-driven decision-making should be most influential in the priority setting processes of local health departments. When marginalized communities and health issues like domestic and sexual violence are often not adequately represented in quantitative data, questions around the equity of objective, data-driven decisions are crucial to consider. While subjective, person-driven decision-making may provide space for conversations that lift up populations and issues that data-driven processes miss, the power and privilege of those in the room – and who has the power to invite participants into the room in the first place – are paramount. This qualitative study discovered that the prioritization of violence prevention as a public health goal in Ramsey County, MN depended largely upon individual actor power (subjective) rather than data-driven (objective) factors. Opportunities remain for increased community member engagement and co-creation of public health policies through a priority setting process that acknowledges the power and privilege of individual actors who are invited and able to participate in the priority setting process. A path forward to health equity in local health department procedures and programs must center community input through continuous community member participation, relationship building, and increased accessibility of the public health priority setting process.