Navigating Rights and the Self as a Survivor and Victim

For over half a century victims and survivors have been speaking out publicly about their experiences of sexual violence. Their stories have contributed to both advocacy and academic scholarship, together creating a form of survivor discourse that speaks against this type of violence. This article works at the intersection between survivor discourse and autoethnography by connecting the two through the author’s own experiences as a survivor and victim. The author first explores how processing the impacts of childhood sexual abuse and being revictimized as an adult shaped their identity as a victim and survivor over time. Secondly, the author engages in an institutional autoethnography as they share the story of how as an adult, they attempted to access records from their childhood sexual abuse case and were denied. Their findings demonstrate how a survivor or victim can be subjected to testimonial quieting, institutional betrayal, and secondary victimization by the institutions that are meant to assist them. They also highlight the importance of victims’ and survivors’ justice needs. The author concludes by discussing how survivors and victims might fulfill some of their needs for justice by building solidarity in their communities and practicing connectedness.