COPING SKILLS OF RITUAL ABUSE SURVIVORS - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY

This research project was undertaken with survivors of ritual abuse to explore their coping skills at the time of the abuse and in adulthood around the memories of the abuse. In this qualitative study, data were gathered both from 14 therapists who specialize in treating survivors of ritual abuse and from three survivors of ritual abuse. Data gathering utilized semistructured interview schedules and structured coping scales. Principal findings were that the ritual abuse survivors represented in this study used dissociation as the main coping mechanism both during the time of the abuse and in adulthood around memories of the abuse, that there was a developmental progression of coping skills used by these survivors over time, and that they relied on the use of self-mutilating behaviors as creative means of affect management. Implications and future research are discussed.