Vécu de la violence et reconstruction du soi : cas des femmes victimes de violence sexual

Abstract

Sexual violence is a highly topical phenomenon, even though it is generally considered a taboo subject. In Cameroon, nearly 60% of women and girls have experienced violence (Melic, 2025). A robust body of literature highlights links between experiencing sexual assault and a range of psychopathological and relational symptoms (Bessoles, Sierra-Scroccaro, Browne). Browne proposes a conceptualization of sexual violence through a fourfold dynamic that he terms trauma genic dynamics. These dynamics disrupt an individual’s cognitive and emotional schemas, thereby impeding the construction of the self and its emotional capacities. They operate across four dimensions: trauma genic sexualization, betrayal, feelings of powerlessness, and experienced stigma. The capacities of the self which encompass skills in interpersonal relationships, emotional regulation, and sense of identity emerge as key modalities in understanding the difficulties faced by survivors of sexual violence. This thesis examines the role of self-reconstruction (Marc) in terms of interpersonal relationships, emotional regulation, and identity sense in the relationship between sexual assault and the survivor’s process of subjectivities. Here, the self, following Bergeret’s (2021) framework, refers to how the survivor perceives, understands, and interacts with their environment in order to not only survive but also how they perceive their own identity and self-awareness. This psychological elaboration is explored using a semi-structured interview guide and the post-traumatic stress scale. Data were collected from three participants in Wake Up Ladies Cameroon, a community-based organization focused on the well-being of women in Cameroon. Within a qualitative, interpretative research design, thematic analysis of the results reveals that the construction of the self among survivors of sexual violence involves a process of re-elaboration of the traumatic event, characterized by supportive interpersonal relationships, regulation of negative emotions, and meaning-making around identity. It becomes apparent that the reconstruction of a person who has been sexually assaulted involves both personal and social recognition of their status as a survivor.