I am a Survivor: Experiences, Impacts and Coping Mechanisms of Filipino Victims of Sexual Violence

Abstract

Sexual violence is a catastrophic phenomenon that most women encounter worldwide. However, the stigma surrounding the victims of sexual violence often leads to a culture of silence, causing the number of such cases to be underreported, leading to limited sexual violence-related studies. With this, the goal of this study is to contribute additional information on the experiences of Filipino victims with sexual violence, its impacts, and their coping mechanisms. Ten Filipino women, who were victims of sexual violence, were interviewed in this study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the gathered data. Themes on their experiences, the effects of sexual violence, and their coping mechanisms were formulated and presented in this study. The study showed that the most common type of sexual violence experienced by the participants was rape. They also reported feelings of fear during and after the abuse. Feelings of shame and guilt were also experienced, which kept them silent about their negative experiences. Experiencing sexual violence can have negative impacts on an individual's total well–being. To cope with these adverse experiences, they sought support from their families and friends. Some confronted their problems and even employed positive reappraisal, while some used avoidance coping.