This is a question often addressed to victims of sexual violence: “Why not have reacted? “ Impossible to cry out, to flee, or to defend oneself: many victims testify to having been unable to prevent their attack. According to a study by the Swedish Karolinska institute published in 2017, 70% of rape victims say they have been totally paralyzed in the face of their attacker.
Part of the answer lies with the brain, and what researchers call “mental astonishment” and “traumatic dissociation”. Video explanations, enlightened by Muriel Salmona, psychiatrist, by Anne Bouillon, lawyer specializing in women’s rights, and by the testimony of three victims, Clara, Lara and Nouna.
Sources of this video:
- “Tonic immobility during sexual assault – a common reaction predicting post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression”, Möller et al., Karolinska Institute, Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. (2017)
- “Neural Correlates of Exposure to Traumatic Pictures and Sound in Vietnam Combat Veterans with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Positron Emission Tomography Study”, Bremner et al., Biological Psychiatry (1999)
- Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire, Marmar et al., Guilford Press (1997)
- Investigation report “Living environment and security” (2019)
- “Traumatic dissociation and personality disorders: or how do you become a stranger to yourself”, Dr Muriel Salmona, in Personality disorders in criminology and victimology, R. Coutanceau and J. Smith, Dunod (2013)
- Understanding the brain, its development, its functioning, its plasticity and its pathologies, The Brain and Spinal Cord Institute (Brain Institute – ICM)