Sexual Trauma CAse Study PSycholog

COU 680 Week Six Case Study: Hope Hope is a 16-year-old sophomore who started to come see you after she experienced date rape by her high school boyfriend, Luke, two months ago. Hope is a highly popular cheerleader and Luke is the quarterback for the football team. Hope’s parents are increasingly concerned for her wellness after the details of the assault were made public and their small community has seemingly split sides over the incident. Hope faces significant peer scrutiny at school, where she is regularly chastised for her actions in speaking out against Luke, and where she frequently has to cross paths with him and his friends. Hope has become fearful and hypervigilant and otherwise reports feeling “tormented” by the experience and the subsequent backlash of her peers and people in the community. She is having trouble with sleep, has been isolating, and is asking to be homeschooled so she no longer has to face her situation at school.

History Hope and Luke started dating the summer before her sophomore year and had dated a total of four months when the sexual assault occurred. Luke was a senior and came from a well-respected family in town. He showed initial interest in Hope and was the one to make the first contact—inviting her on a group date to the movies. Things went well on the date, and the two become exclusive at that point. Though popular, Hope was somewhat shy and did not have a lengthy dating history. Nevertheless, she felt safe and comfortable with Luke, who she stated “was always appropriate, kind, and supportive of [her].” Though Luke shared his desire to have sex with Hope, until the night of the assault, he was reportedly appropriate when she told him no. Hope had strong religious beliefs and had made clear to Luke that she wanted to wait to have sex until marriage. Hope reported that though he often teased her about this, Luke had not pressured her in any way. The sexual assault happened on a Friday night following a local football game. Hope and Luke had gone to a party at a friend’s house where they both took part in drinking. They went into a bedroom where they were alone and started making out. As Luke started to undress her, Hope asked him to stop, but he continued and ultimately raped her, telling her he “loved her” and that she “would be glad they did this” once they were done. Tearful and upset after the assault, Hope had Luke take her home. He attempted to first console her and then ultimately threatened her not to tell anyone, stating “they won’t believe you anyway.” Hope did tell her parents, and they subsequently pressed charges against Luke.

Developmental Considerations Hope has no prior trauma history or developmental concerns. She makes friends easily and has always been popular amongst peers in school, where she has maintained an A/B average.

Relational Considerations Relationally, Hope has strong support in her parents. She is an only child and has always been very close to them, confiding in them things that most teenagers wouldn’t. Hope notes that she is particularly close to her mom, who she sees as her “best friend,” and states that their open communication is what made her feel safe in sharing her experience with Luke and in moving forward with pressing charges. Outside of the home, Hope has had some considerable support from close friends who have stuck by her through the experience. However, she has felt significant loss from other friends, who Hope feels

have “betrayed” and “abandoned” her in siding with Luke. As an introvert, she has struggled significantly with the attention this situation has drawn to her and the loss of friendships she is suffering. She feels “ridiculed” and “blamed” by her peers, but also by the larger community. She notes particularly struggling with being in public, where adults have come up to her and attempted to shame her for speaking out.

Multicultural Considerations Hope is a practicing Southern Baptist, as is much of her community. She believes strongly in her faith and has always believed in the need to wait for sex until marriage. While she knows this incident was not her fault, she does have some guilt in the fact that she was drinking—something she believes she shouldn’t have been doing, and something she feels may have contributed to her inability to fight Luke off.

Diagnosis Hope has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Reference

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).

Washington, DC: Author.