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Exploring Sociocultural Influences Affecting Body Image in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Assault

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Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of survivors of childhood sexual assault, their meaning making process of the assault, and how messages from their sociocultural environment affected their relationship with, and perception of, their bodies. Utilizing a social constructivist framework, the research team interviewed eleven (n = 11) participants from a variety of backgrounds who were gender assigned female at birth and had survived childhood sexual assault (CSA). Four major themes emerged from the narratives collected. These include sociocultural impacts which included four subthemes: family relationships, peer relationships, societal and environmental influences, and cultural and ethnic influences; meaning making of the critical event, i.e., childhood sexual assault; self-perception of their bodies; internal processes that have shaped their perceptions and meaning making, i.e., thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Findings indicate major influence of sociocultural factors in shaping participant’s internal processes as survivors of CSA, meaning making, and subsequently self-perceptions of, and relationship with, their bodies. We discuss CSA and body image keeping the intersectionality of the individual, their experiences, and the impact of sociocultural contexts on that intersectionality.

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Funding

This research project was sponsored by start-up funds provided by Oklahoma State University to the PI and conducted as a collaboration between the Trauma Recovery and Growth Research Group and the Body Image and Disordered Eating lab at Oklahoma State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health Sciences, Counseling and Counseling Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 700 N Greenwood Ave, Main Hall 2441, Tulsa, OK, 74106, USA

    Jyotsana Sharma, Madeline Brodt, Kimberly D. Osborn, Laina J. Nelson, Gillian J. Copeland & Tonya R. Hammer

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  1. Jyotsana Sharma
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  2. Madeline Brodt
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  3. Kimberly D. Osborn
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  4. Laina J. Nelson
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Correspondence to Jyotsana Sharma.

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Sharma, J., Brodt, M., Osborn, K.D. et al. Exploring Sociocultural Influences Affecting Body Image in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Assault. Journ Child Adol Trauma 16, 731–744 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-023-00551-z

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