Mothers of Sexual Assault Victims: How Women "Do Mother" After Their Child Has Been Sexually Assaulted
Published online on May 12, 2015
Abstract
The sexual assault of a child has a profound impact on not just the child, but those closest to them. This research examined the ways that women react and cope with the sexual assault of their child within the framework of their role as mothers, or how they are able to "do mother" in the aftermath of the assault. A total of 21 mothers who had a child sexually assaulted were interviewed across the state of Illinois. The experiences of these women are presented and discussed within the feminist literature regarding the societal role of mother.