Perception du soutien social chez les adolescentes victimes d'agression sexuelle
This study investigates the role of social support as a protective factor in the posttraumatic adjustment of sexually abused victims. Many studies show the protective role of social support but others find its positive impact varies according to the source of support (Ullman, 1996), the type of support (Feiring, Taska, & Lewis, 1998) or the victim’s perception (Campbell, Ahrens, Sefl, Wasco, & Barnes, 2001). A qualitative approach allows us to examine the complex process at play when social support impacts post-traumatic adjustment which then allows us to better identify and explore social support’s characteristics. The goal was to describe in depth and to better understand how sexually abused female teenagers perceive the social support they received. A semi structured clinical interview was used with eight sexually abused adolescents to document their perspectives and verbatim accounts were analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Social support was mainly positive although three main negative reactions were identified: betrayal regarding the abuse, verbal and physical violence and negative rumors about the adolescents. This understanding of the perspective of these adolescents can lead to promoting better social support experiences in the future.
Social support Sexual abuse Adolescents Victims Qualitative study