I support survivors every day in my work as a sexual assault and harrassment attorney.
One thing I have seen with my clients, and in my own personal experience, is that there’s a common response that follows sexual violence.
As survivors, we tend to downplay what happened, block it out, and convince ourselves that we’re okay because we survived.
Like we saw with Jane Doe in the recent Cornell case, this isn’t a personal choice. It’s a psychological response to trauma.
And it’s time we stop blaming survivors and train law enforcement, leaders, and legal representatives to better understand the complex dynamics of the survivor’s response.
How does the brain respond to the trauma of sexual violence?
Why did Jane Doe wait to report what happened to her at a Cornell fraternity? And does the timeline impact the validity of her report?
These are questions many people are asking now and every time there’s a high-profile sexual assault case.
So many sexual assault victims are directly and indirectly blamed for a failure to report their assault or a delay in reporting.
This judgment is unfair, and it can make it harder for survivors to be believed or seek justice.
The first step to better supporting survivors of sexual violence is to understand what happens in the brain after we experience trauma.
The psychological response to sexual violence can include:
- Shock or disbelief – This looks like denial, feeling numb, or being unable to process what has happened.
- Fear and anxiety – It’s common to experience panic and hypervigilance.
- Dissociation – Survivors may mentally detach from their body or the event during and/or after the assault.
- Complex emotions – Victims may feel overwhelmed by shame, guilt, self-blame, anger, or any combination of intense feelings.
These are all evolutionary responses the brain has developed to protect the person experiencing trauma.
How does trauma impact reporting?
It’s not uncommon for victims to act like they are okay, downplay the entire event, or block out the horror of what they experienced. They’re not choosing these responses, the brain is simply programmed this way.
The neuroscience of trauma explains why victims may not initially report their assault, may delay reporting for weeks, months, or years, and may not immediately remember everything they experienced.
Sexual violence survivors need time to process, heal, and understand what they went through.
They need law enforcement to believe them when they remember additional details or clarify their story.
Most of all, survivors need to be supported by a system that understands the complexities and realities of trauma.
The need for trauma-informed training
Survivors have a hard enough time navigating their own complex trauma response. When the system becomes another barrier for survivors, we make it even harder for victims to feel safe and seek justice.
Everyone who interacts with survivors should receive better training about the neurological impacts of trauma, including:
- Law enforcement
- Institutional leaders
- Judges
- Juries
- Attorneys
Survivors should never be judged for not reporting earlier.
The system needs to learn more about what survivors experience and the psychological effects of and neurological response to trauma.
As a trauma-informed attorney who specializes in sexual violence, harrassment, and cybersexual misconduct, I’m passionate about training organizations, teams, and departments to better support survivors.
The system (and everyone who works within it) needs to stop blaming survivors for their reactions.
We can all create a more just system, one trauma-informed training at a time.
Click here to contact me about my training and consulting services.
