NCJ Number
111239
Journal
Contemporary Family Therapy Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1987) Pages: 252-262
Date Published
1987
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The ritual described in this article can help rape victims and their families communicate at a depth not yet experienced by eliciting an emotional response from the victim, a family member, or several family members.
Abstract
Rehabilitative interventions for rape victims involve more than the discussion of cognitive and emotional responses to the traumatic events of the rape and the posttraumatic anxiety and depression. Many victims and their families are unable to reconstruct a supportive functional system after they have been violated by rape. The proposed strategic ritual can be used with the family to facilitate this reorganization and restitution of the family's integrity. The ritual involves the family gathering in an asthetically pleasing outdoor location to hear the rape victim read a short, metaphorical story about a princess who has her family crown stolen by a shadowy figure and the family's reassessment of its values in the midst of the loss. The story is intended to help family members express their emotions, re-examine family values, and focus on the values that remain within and among family members in spite of the trauma that has jarred their existence. 11 references. (Author abstract modified)