Ett andra övergrepp : En kvalitativ studie om sekundär viktimisering hos kvinnor som utsatts för sexuellt våld inom en nära relation

Sammanfattning: The objective of this study is to examine how professionals approach women that have experienced intimate partner rape. Sexual abuse is an area that has seen an upswing of interest in later years partly thanks to samtyckeslagen (the consent law) and #metoo. At the same time the field is full of misinterpretations and old prejudice that sometimes risks leading to poor professional approach from the professionals. Secondary victimization is an effect of the poor approach that means that the women feel victimized again but by the professionals instead of the perpetrator. Though the area has gained more scientific traction in later years there are still many questions remaining and gaps in knowledge to examine. Through this study we have found that the women continuously experience approaches that makes them feel victimized. We have also found that a lot of the victimization is based in old belief connected to rape myths, the belief that a rape looks a certain way and therefore also that the victim of rape is a certain way. At the same time the women also describe that some professionals have been absolutely essential to their healing. This imbalance in approach is also evident in the earlier research that we have found. Our analysis also found that secondary victimization doesn’t only happen in the meeting between the women and the professionals. The choice of wording in the documentation after the meeting have also proven to be able to wake feelings of both shame and pride with the women. It also became evident that the women that had been exposed to secondary victimization in some cases would go to long lengths to avoid further contact with professionals. This finding means that the secondary victimization risks preventing the authority from helping these women in the future.