“We’re Going to Start Healing”: Perceptions of Sexual Violence on a Rural Indian Reservation in the Northern Great Plains

• In Event: Empowerment Approaches to Preventing Sexual Violence in Indigenous Communities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of sexual violence among an Indigenous community residing on a large rural Indian Reservation in the Northern Great Plains. We conducted seven focus groups with adults, high school students, and middle school students, and a thematic analysis approach was used to assess the gestalt of the data. Three primary themes emerged from the data: (1) causes of sexual violence, (2) characteristics and contexts of sexual violence, and (3) prevention of sexual violence. Adults focused on the effects of colonization on attitudes and behaviors related to sexual violence and the importance of empowering youth. Adolescent boys perceived that the general acceptance of physical violence in their community led to a culture of ambivalence and distrust of sexual assault disclosures. Adolescent girls referenced how gender and social norms that subjugate women/girls have led to rape myth acceptance and victim-blaming. Findings highlight the need for empowerment-based, culturally grounded, gender transformative prevention programs to address the social biases and gender norms that contribute to sexual violence, while promoting cultural strengths and community among youth. This research has important implications for informing sexual violence prevention programming across Indian country.

Authors

• Stephanie Lim, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Maeve Allen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Vivian Aranda-Hughes, Michigan State University

• Katie M. Edwards, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Thalia WIlson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln