CASE STUDIES:
2015 + 2016 + 2017 JAN / FEB The story of Jamie
My life began uneventfully. I was a happy little girl in a happy family. My biggest worry was about my older
brother threatening to tell my parents that I stole a cookie. I was 8 years old, and my life was exactly how a
child's life should be; carefree and devoid (empty) of the messy thoughts and feelings that would eventually
haunt me. I was innocent and pure.
Then my parents' ugly divorce burst that bubble. Suddenly the peace at home was shattered by screaming
matches, muttered insults and icy glares. I loved my family more than anything and the divorce ripped us
apart Mom and Dad were too busy annihilating each other to notice what was happening to me and my
brother. We were either pushed aside or used as bargaining tools. We were caught in the middle, with Mom
convincing us that Dad was the bad guy, and Dad telling us that Mom was to blame. I was lost. I withdrew
and tried to stay far away from any kind of family situation. My brother spent most of his time away from
home.
Around that time, new neighbours moved in next door. One afternoon, as I was sitting in the tree at the bottom
of our garden, I noticed a boy of about 16 kicking a ball around in the garden. I whistled at him. He looked up
and smiled at me, with the kindest eyes I had ever seen. How I would forever blame myself for making that
move! Danny soon became my dearest friend, my guardian. Often, during one of my parents' arguments, I
would run out of the house down to the tree and sob my heart out. More often than not, Danny would come
to the fence and say "They're at It again?" and I would nod my head with tears rolling down my cheeks.
Sometimes he wouldn't say much, and just share an orange or a sandwich with me. Other times he would
tell me a joke and make me laugh. Sometimes he would jump over the fence to my side and kick a ball around
with me, or he would help me over to his side to show me a treasure and give me a hug. Sometimes, just
knowing Danny was there was enough to make me feel better.
We began to spend a lot of lime together. After school, I would run down to the garden fence to tell him what
had happened during the day. He always had the time and energy to listen to me, or to help me with my
homework. My mom and dad had separated and Mom was usually distant and miserable or busy. She thought
Danny was a sweet, decent guy because he would offer to help her with things around the house. Often she
left me in his care when she was out.
Looking back, I can see that Danny just stepped in where my dad left off. The first time it happened was when
we were lying on a towel after a swim. Danny reached over and slid his fingers underneath my swimming
costume, just touching my genitals. This shocked me and I cringed away from him. He laughed and said
"Come back Silly, it's Just a different type of hug". From that day on, Danny's "hugs" took on all kinds of
different appearances. Some of them made me feel warm and fuzzy, others made me uncomfortable, like
when he wanted me to touch him under his clothes. But I didn't say anything because I wanted Danny to be
happy. He was my world.
I was almost 10 years old when Danny actually raped me (∴ Danny = 18). He told me this is what people do
when they love each other. Even though it hurt and I preferred the warm hugs, I was so deeply happy that
Danny loved me. I found a way to think of something else while it happened. Eventually I could become a
balloon and float away into another world, like Alice in Wonderland. One day Childline came to my school to
give us a talk about sexual abuse. The presenter said that nobody has the right to touch your body, especially
under your clothes. She said these are "bad touches" and we should tell our parents if this happens to any of
us. I was confused. Although Danny's touches were sometimes painful, I did not think that they were bad.
Sometimes they even felt like good touches to me. Danny loved me and I trusted him. Also, I had sometimes
touched Danny under his clothes, so maybe I was the bad one? Later at home, I told Danny what the lady
had said. He said it was nonsense and that she was talking about bad things that strangers do to small
children. He said I was not a little child and we had a special love that my mom would not understand. He
said as long as I allowed him to love me, he would always be there for me.
It went on for years. I was isolated from other people and the world. As a teenager, I realised that I was
different from my peers and that the relationship with Danny was not normal. I felt dirty. As time passed, I
began to want it to stop, but had no idea how to end it. I tried to broach (bring) the subject with my mom, but
she couldn't or wouldn't hear what I was saying. Instead, she suggested that if it had actually happened, it
was my fault because I had wanted it. As soon as I turned 16, I left home. I needed to get away. Life on your
own at sixteen is not easy. I was really alone, and many times I considered going home to what was familiar,
to Danny. I stayed with various 'friends', doing odd jobs to earn some money, trying to build a life. I ended up
in the City, looking for ways to fill the emptiness, but my past was catching up.
, I thought I was free from Danny, but I wasn't. I was trapped in anger, guilt, shame and worthlessness. I
resorted to scratching and cutting myself to release some of the pain. When that didn't work, I turned to sex
- With anyone and everyone. Prostitution was a good way to earn a living, except that the guilt and shame
increased and I hated the familiarity of being abused yet again. I moved around a lot, charming my way into
people's homes, but leaving as soon as it got too comfortable. I became hard and mean, nothing could touch
me. I switched off, I forgot how to feel was eventually completely worn out, ready to give up on life.
One desperate night, on the verge of suicide, I called Lifeline. I spoke for hours to someone who truly seemed
to care. After a few more phone calls, when I was ready, she put me in touch with a group for adult survivors
of child abuse. For the first time, I knew I was not alone. There were others there who had been through the
same experiences, and they cared about me. The group saved my life. As survivors we have to sort our
'insides' out, our feelings. All my feelings were ripped out, mixed up, messed up and thrown back in when I
was abused. I have to retrain my brain, learn how to think, feel, trust, love. At times, I feel I am an eight-year-
old inside a woman's body. I look forward to those weekly meetings where I can say anything and not be
judged. I can talk about my experiences without reactions of disbelief or horror and shock. I feel safe enough
to peel back the years of abuse and discover the real me, who I am meant to be.
I am proud to say that I am now free of drugs and self-harming. I have a decent job and a healthier lifestyle,
and I have come out with my secret. I am not ashamed of who I am anymore. It's still an uphill battle and it's
still far from over, but I know I have plenty of support and I can see a ray of light. My group is a family of
survivors and I am fortunate to have a few really good friends. I hope that one day I will be able to include my
mother in my circle. I hope that one day I will be able to love and trust another man - I am not there yet. But I
know there never needs to be a dead end. There is more than anger and sadness, there is always hope.
1. The experience of Jamie in the case study 5. Thinking about something else and 'floating
should be classified as away" during the rape is suggestive of
1) sexual molestation 1) dissociation
2) crimen injuria 2) daydreaming
3) child sexual abuse 3) depersonalisation
2. Danny approached Jamie in the case study 6. The primary defence mechanism that
because Jamie's mother used for the sexual abuse
1) she was young and beautiful was
2) she was vulnerable and powerless 1) intellectualisation
3) she made the first move by whistling at him 2) rationalisation
3) blaming
3. This abuse can potentially affect Jamie's
future long-term relationships, for this 7. The survivor in the case study appeared to
reason, she should be encouraged follow a healing process that happened
1) not to disclose this to her future partner, as it 1) In a smooth and predictable fashion
could make him suspicious about whether she 2) In a nonlinear fashion
was responsible for what happened & lead to a 3) Neither of the above is correct
problem of jealousy in their relationship
2) to make up her own mind about whether 8. Jamie's moving from place to place is
she wants to tell her partner or not, because indicative of
she has the ability to make the best decision 1) "escape behaviour" to avoid intimacy
according to her personal circumstances 2) self-protection to avoid further abuse
3) to disclose it to her partner so that he will 3) sexual promiscuity
understand why she resists his sexual
advances when their relationship becomes 9. ★ According to Briere's model (1992),
intimate Jamie's withdrawal and isolation from
others was
4. The phases of the six-stage model of 1) **long-term elaboration and secondary
healing (Petty & Spies 2005) are accommodation
1) consciousness, denial, emergency, 2) a typical post-traumatic reaction
bottoming out, exploration of emotions, 3) ***early accommodation of her abuse
acceptance 10. Which one is NOT a myth?
2) denial, bottoming out, emergency, 1) Survivors of sexual abuse will usually abuse
exploration of emotions, consciousness, their own children
acceptance 2) Survivors of sexual abuse become involved
3) denial, emergency, consciousness, in crime, drugs and prostitution
exploration of emotions, bottoming out, 3) Survivors of sexual abuse are judged by
acceptance society
,11. The survivor was traumatised because what 13. Survivor’s experience can be classified as
happened to her 1) continuous trauma
1) was extraordinary 2) indirect trauma
2) overwhelmed her natural coping 3) secondary trauma
mechanisms
3) Both 1 and 2 are correct 14. Even though Danny was technically a child
himself when the abuse began, he is still
12. A trauma such as the one experienced by considered an offender. Why?
Jamie has the potential to 1) He was more than 3 years older than
1) create such inner turmoil for the survivor Jamie
that several areas of functioning in her life 2) He was in a position of power
may be disrupted 3) Both 1 and 2 are correct
2) give the survivor an opportunity to grow,
identify strengths within herself and become 15. Danny's actions can also be described as
more realistic about life 1) opportunistic rape
3) Both 1 and 2 are correct 2) statutory rape
3) premeditated rape
, 2016 + 2017 NOV + 2019 + 2021
