The Psychological Impact of Sexual Harassment in Selected Contemporary Young Adults’ Fiction

Abstract

The statistics of sexual assault in the U.S and Canada are alarming. Fiction writers in both countries have represented victims and have highlighted the psychological repercussions of such assault. This thesis explores the psychological impact of sexual harassment on young adult girls with reference to two young adult novels: Speak (1999) by the American author Laurie Halse Anderson (1961--); and Scars (2010) by the Canadian author Cheryl Rainfield (1972--). The thesis focuses on the aftermath of sexual harassment on young adult girls, who are usually traumatized. The traumatized suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is manifested through different symptoms. One of the symptoms of PTSD is the act of self-mutilation which will be analyzed along with the other PTSD symptoms. In addition to analyzing the effect of the traumatic event, identity formation and how the identity of young adult girls is shaped by the traumatic event in the works is under study. Besides PTSD and identity, methods of recovery represented in the novel are analyzed. The analysis draws on trauma theory with reference to Judith Herman’s book Trauma and recovery; it also relies on Erik Erickson's psychosocial development theory. Key words: psychological impact, sexual harassment, young adult literature, trauma, identity, PTSD, self-mutilation, Laurie Halse Anderson, Cheryl Rainfield