Trauma of the Shared Environment: A Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences of Survivors of College Campus Sexual Assault.
Constance Austin CoatesLaura Marie ArmstrongRyan KilmerMargaret QuinlanCharlie ReevePublished in: Violence against women (2023)
Survivors of campus sexual assault are often tasked with healing while sharing an environment with their perpetrators. However, little is known about the effects of a shared environment on survivor well-being. A qualitative thematic analysis design was employed to address this gap. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine female survivors who identified their perpetrators as fellow students at a large state university in the southeastern U.S. The five themes that emerged are situated within an ecological framework, which is also used to guide our recommendations for supporting survivors' well-being within higher education.