‘I just want the pain to go away’: religious coping and sexual trauma recovery in South African, marginalised contexts

Abstract

There is increased recognition of the need to engage with psychosocial diversity in thepsychotherapeutic treatment of sexual violence. Using a decolonial feminist communitypsychology lens, this paper explores how religious practices shape the traumaexperiences of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the Cape Flats region ofSouth Africa. Drawing on data from qualitative semi-structured interviews andintegrative trauma-informed care sessions with thirteen women who experiencedchildhood sexual abuse, this research explores how religion influences adult survivors’efforts to process childhood sexual abuse and seek healing. Characterised by structuralinequities, intergenerational trauma and limited mental health services resulting fromapartheid, the Cape Flats provides a context in which religion plays a paradoxical rolein study participants’ lives. Insights from reflexive inductive thematic analysis suggestthat religion may provide supportive meaning, but also perpetuates trauma suppressionthrough spiritual bypassing and premature forgiveness. This dynamic occurs wherecultural and religious norms discourage trauma disclosure and institutionalised faithpractices lack specialised trauma care. Integrative trauma-informed care sessions enableparticipants to engage with their trauma authentically, while cultivating an empoweringconnection to their faith. These findings highlight the necessity for trauma recoveryapproaches that address the intersections of structural inequity, gender and spirituality.