Sexual assault and intimate heterosexual relationships: the interaction of communication, coping and support

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the stories told by 5 married heterosexual couples about the impact of the woman's sexual assault on their relationships. The participants' perceptions of the areas of their relationship impacted, as well as how they have coped with and communicated about the sexual assault was collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with the couples. Interview data was coded using the method of constant comparative analysis and emergent themes were reviewed to uncover the essence of the effect of sexual assault on these couples' relationships. Analysis revealed three major themes, or factors, related to marital functioning that were impacted by sexual assault: communication, coping and support. A detailed description of the complex interactions among these factors and the way marital functioning is disturbed or altered when a sexual assault becomes a part of a relationship emerged. A model explanatory framework grounded in systems theory that details these interactions and the impact/healing cycle is proposed, and treatment recommendations for survivors and their partners are offered. The impact of cultural messages about sexual assault on the way participants coped with the assault individually and as a couple was also examined.