Survivor's Silenced Narratives

The re-victimization experienced by sexual assault (SA) survivors who engage with the mental health system post-assault is often wrapped in silence. They are stories that we never hear. Working from anti-colonial, anti-psychiatry and mad studies lenses, this master’s research paper centres three narratives from SA survivors who have experienced the “second victimization” (Sabina & Ho, 2014) from the mental health system. The SA survivors are all living in Ontario, Canada and their stories highlight a deep-rooted flawed system built on colonial practices which have been curated to abuse power relations. This research exposes the silenced trauma and abuse endured at the hands of medical ‘professionals’ as well as a lack of understanding and empathy for the SA community.