Student Stories of Resilience After Campus Sexual Assault: A Post-Intentional Phenomenological Exploration

• In Event: Special Topics in Counseling

Abstract

Students who experience campus sexual assault (CSA) can experience a range of potentially detrimental mental health and educational outcomes. Researchers have documented the consequences of CSA, but little is known about students’ post-assault resilience as they navigate their campus environment. Through a qualitative inquiry, my work explores the phenomenon of resilience among undergraduate students who have experienced CSA. Understanding resilience within the context of CSA will enhance the existing knowledge of student experiences of CSA; which, in turn, will inform how individuals and the campus community respond to and increase their responsibility of CSA, including the tailoring of intervention and prevention efforts that focus on building resilience after a traumatic event within higher education.

Author

• Molly C. Driessen, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities