Papers by Thema Bryant-Davis
3. Women, Sex Trafficking, and the Justice System
Gender, Psychology, and Justice
<p>This chapter discusses the experiences of women and girl survivors of sex trafficking in... more <p>This chapter discusses the experiences of women and girl survivors of sex trafficking in the United States. It highlights the risk factors that make women and girls vulnerable to sex traffickers and victimization, examines the impact of sex trafficking on women's and girls' health, and describes the circumstances that lead to their forced involvement in the sex trade and their contact with the justice system. Gender, class, and racial stereotypes are barriers that prevent trafficking survivors from obtaining legal protection. Other barriers include fear of violence, lack of awareness of resources, and fear of deportation. When seeking legal help, trafficking survivors often experience revictimization and are treated as criminals. Lastly, this chapter identifies the need for more research on survivors of sex trafficking, highlights promising legal and mental health interventions, and proposes guidelines for greater gender and cultural responsiveness in programming.</p>
Rather than testing a particular hypothesis or set of hypotheses, the study was designed to provi... more Rather than testing a particular hypothesis or set of hypotheses, the study was designed to provide longitudinal information on a broad range of factors known to be associated with children's health and development, including the neighborhood conditions, economic conditions, parents' health and mental health, parents‟ marital status and the quality of parental relationships, parents' use of public programs, the availability of social support, and parent-child relationships. As such, the Study provides data that are relevant to a large number of questions and serves as a valuable resource for researchers interested in the life chances of children growing up in disadvantaged families.
Journal of Social Issues, 2017
Strength and resilience: Adolescent girls exiting trafficking
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, Apr 1, 2010
National-, community-, and college-based studies have documented the high prevalence of sexual as... more National-, community-, and college-based studies have documented the high prevalence of sexual assault among African American women. Although African American women experience sexual assault at alarming rates, they are less likely to disclose or seek help in the aftermath of sexual assault. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a critique of the current literature examining the barriers to disclosure for African American women, such as intrapsychic factors, the damaging effect of an unsupportive response to initial disclosure, stigmatization of African American female sexuality, apprehension regarding racism, and racial loyalty. The authors provide a summary of the literature, gaps in current empirical studies, and needs for future study. Culturally relevant intervention recommendations are described. Finally, implications for sexual assault policy are provided. Regardless of race and ethnicity, anywhere from one sixth to almost one quarter of women in the United States have survived sexual assault (Elliot, Mok, & Briere, 2004). National studies focusing on the prevalence rate of sexual assault among African American women in particular found that nearly 3 African American women per 1,000 had been sexually assaulted . In a more recent national study, the researchers found that an estimated 23.4% of African American women have experienced sexual assault in their lifetime (Kilpatrick, D.
Stifled Voices: Barriers to Help-Seeking Behavior for South African Childhood Sexual Assault Survivors
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, May 27, 2010
In South Africa, females under the age of 18 comprise approximately 40% of the rapes and other fo... more In South Africa, females under the age of 18 comprise approximately 40% of the rapes and other forms of sexual assault that occur. However, South African girls face multiple barriers to seeking help in the aftermath of sexual assault. This literature review provides an overview of childhood sexual assault in South African girls and addresses barriers to help-seeking behaviors. Risk factors as well as relevant sociocultural, economic, structural, and psychological perceptions regarding childhood sexual assault among South African girls are also discussed. Finally, clinical implications, culturally relevant psychotherapeutic techniques, and suggestions for future research are provided in an effort to reduce the negative mental health consequences for the victims.
Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 2015
The Trauma of Racism
The Counseling Psychologist, Jul 1, 2005
ABSTRACT Considering the barriers to discussions of racism, this document starts by acknowledging... more ABSTRACT Considering the barriers to discussions of racism, this document starts by acknowledging appreciation for the feedback and insights of the editors of &quot;The Counseling Psychologist&quot; as well as those of the responders. Spanierman and Poteat (2005 [this issue]) note that racist incidents are &quot;most easily comparable with the established notion of trauma when they are overt and distinct events experienced directly by an individual. Divergence from one or more of these characteristics makes the comparison with the traditional understanding of trauma less direct&quot; (p. 517). In short, racist incidents perpetrated at the individual level by an overtly racist perpetrator that involve verbal, physical, or some other type of abuse or assault fit the standard definition of trauma. In fact, these incidents would be traumatic regardless of the motivation (racist or otherwise). However, viewing racist incidents through the narrow lens of overt, individual racism removes the responsibility of action against covert and/or institutionalized racism. To assist counselors and researchers in identifying potentially traumatic racist incidents that are nonphysical and/or covert, three pointers for psychologists to consider in addition to severity, as it is traditionally understood, with every trauma survivor, are provided.
Racism as Trauma: Drawing Parallels and Informing Clinical Responses
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2004
A Therapeutic Approach to the Treatment of Racist-Incident-Based Trauma
Journal of Emotional Abuse, Dec 11, 2006
The purpose of this paper is to outline a thematic approach to the clinical treatment of clients ... more The purpose of this paper is to outline a thematic approach to the clinical treatment of clients who have experienced racial trauma. Using the literature on trauma and racist incidents, the authors explore the following counseling themes for trauma treatment: acknowledge, share, safety and self-care, grieve, shame and self-blame/internalized racism, anger, coping strategies, and resistance strategies. The authors then provide
Women & Therapy, Jul 1, 2011
Cross-border feminist collaborations enhance efforts to combat violence against women, including ... more Cross-border feminist collaborations enhance efforts to combat violence against women, including sexual violence. Sexual assault was a pervasive human rights violation perpetrated against many Liberian women during the over decade long Civil War. Based on a review of the mental health literature focusing on the realities of this crime against humanity in the lives of Liberian women, thirteen interviews were conducted with Liberian Church leaders. The participants and the first and second authors are collaborators on faith-based initiatives aimed at serving and empowering Liberian women and girls through the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Interviewees highlight the effects, dynamics, needs, and solutions for Liberian women attempting to recover from these atrocities. This article utilizes feminist theology and feminist psychology as a frame for understanding the experiences of Liberian sexual assault survivors and feminist cross-border collaborations in West Africa.
Faith to move mountains: Religious coping, spirituality, and interpersonal trauma recovery
American Psychologist, 2013
Interpersonal trauma is pervasive globally and may result in long-term consequences physically, c... more Interpersonal trauma is pervasive globally and may result in long-term consequences physically, cognitively, behaviorally, socially, and spiritually (Bryant-Davis, 2005b). One of the protective factors that have emerged in the literature is religious coping. Religious coping, spirituality, and faith-based approaches to trauma recovery include endorsement of beliefs, engagement in behaviors, and access to support from faith communities. Compared with negative religious coping, spirituality and positive religious coping have been associated with decreased psychological distress, a finding established with survivors of child abuse, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, community violence, and war. This article focuses on spiritual and religious coping among survivors of child abuse, sexual violence, and war; however, research demonstrates increased use of positive religious coping among some survivors with higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder. Much of the scholarship in this area includes qualitative studies with populations who face increased vulnerability to interpersonal trauma. Research in this area covers the life span from childhood to later adulthood and encompasses both domestic and international studies. The implications of research findings are explored, and future research needs are described. This line of research supports the American Psychological Association (2010) ethical standards that note the recognition of spiritual and religious faith traditions as important aspects of the provision of ethical treatment. Researchers, clinicians, and advocates for trauma survivors are encouraged to attend to the faith traditions and beliefs of persons confronting the potential devastation of traumatic events.
Stifled Voices: Barriers to Help-Seeking Behavior for South African Childhood Sexual Assault Survivors
HIV Prevention Practices Promoted by African American Faith Leaders: A National Overview
Traditionally Black faith leaders have been in the forefront of those advocating for the spiritua... more Traditionally Black faith leaders have been in the forefront of those advocating for the spiritual, physical, and mental health needs of members of their community. Social scientists have begun to document local efforts of Black ministers to engage in HIV prevention initiatives. The current project represents the first multi-denominational nationwide survey of Black faith leaders to determine their HIV prevention practices as well as barriers to engagement. Participants were recruited at social justice and faith-based conferences as well as through emails which provided a link to an on-line survey. Participants, who were interdenominational, were 40% male and 60% female. 70% of the sample provides ministry in urban versus suburban or rural areas. The most common HIV-related activities the faith leaders endorse engaging in are prayer, mentioning HIV in a sermon, providing pastoral care and counseling, attending community meetings related to HIV, and supporting the start or continuati...
A Therapeutic Approach to the Treatment of Racist-Incident-Based Trauma
Journal of Emotional Abuse, 2006
The purpose of this paper is to outline a thematic approach to the clinical treatment of clients ... more The purpose of this paper is to outline a thematic approach to the clinical treatment of clients who have experienced racial trauma. Using the literature on trauma and racist incidents, the authors explore the following counseling themes for trauma treatment: acknowledge, share, safety and self-care, grieve, shame and self-blame/internalized racism, anger, coping strategies, and resistance strategies. The authors then provide
Risk Factors for Ethnically Diverse Adolescent Girls Exiting Sex Trafficking
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
Cultural Adaptations to Complex Trauma Treatment with Children and Adolescents
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
Religious Coping With HIV, Cancer, and Diabetes: Experiences of African American Christian Women
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
A Mile in Child Moccasins: Traditional Ways of Healing Sexual Abuse
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
Racism as Trauma: Drawing Parallels and Informing Clinical Responses
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
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Papers by Thema Bryant-Davis