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Paper short abstract:

Through qualitative interviews and visual ethnography, mixed-methods research is exploring the multifaceted impact of child sexual abuse on survivors' spaces and homes. This holistic approach also develops trauma-informed anthropological practices and fosters a compassionate educational environment.

Paper long abstract:

The concept of the household is central to the anthropological debate. It is where culture is made, traditions and stories are preserved and lost, and identities are created and reshaped over time.

However, the home is not a safe place for everyone. Spatiality and domesticity offer several ways to consider how media memories are created, connected, transmitted, eluded, and re-enacted by adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA).

By delving into survivors’ lived experiences and their relationship with ‘phygital’ domestic spaces, ongoing fieldwork is seeking to provide valuable insights into the intersection of trauma, spatial awareness, and the educational contexts that can play a pivotal role in supporting survivors’ healing processes.

The research aims to employ a mixed-methods approach to comprehensively investigate the intricate and multifaceted effects of CSA trauma on survivors’ spaces and homes.

Through visually oriented qualitative interviews, survivors’ narratives are captured, shedding light on how their traumatic experiences have shaped their perceptions of personal and shared spaces.

Visual ethnography-based methods complement their narratives by documenting the visual and spatial elements that survivors associate with their experiences. This holistic approach will not only offer a deeper understanding of trauma’s impact but also contribute to developing trauma-informed educational practices.

The current survey shows how practising autoethnography may assist CSA survivors in sharing stories and fostering healing and resilience. Emerging evidence can also provide insight into the overarching theme of trauma-informed anthropological teaching and practice, emphasising the aim of contributing to more informed educational approaches through mixed-methods studies.