Perspectives on Sexual Trauma
Author: Valerie Cloud Clearer Ringland.
Source: Volume 12, Number 02, Fall 2019 , pp.83-90(8)

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Abstract:
Trauma goes far beyond producing merely a painful memory; it impacts the brain and body in ways that often linger for an entire lifetime. While she was working as an attorney, prior to earning her Ph.D. in social work, author Valerie Cloud Clearer Ringland, by her own admission, knew little about effectively interacting with her traumatized clients. Now, as a trauma-informed professional, Ringland has written this article to help her fellow practitioners become similarly trauma informed. In this piece, she explains trauma-related terminology, explores neurological and clinical manifestations of trauma, describes a cross cultural study exploring the characteristics of societies with high levels of sexual violence, and argues against the practice of male circumcision, which itself might be considered a type of sexual trauma.Keywords: “Acting In” and “Acting Out” Trauma Survival Strategies; Secondary Trauma; Cultural and Social Perspectives on Trauma
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