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Trauma-Informed Lawyering in the Context of Civil Claims for Sexual Violence

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Nikki Godden-Rasul, Dr Clare Wiper

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

Over the last decade there has been an increase in civil compensation claims for sexual violence in the UK. Given ‘trauma-informed’ approaches have been called for in relation to legal responses to sexual violence, we put forward seven key principles of trauma-informed lawyering in this context and draw on interviews with UK-based civil lawyers who represent sexual violence survivors to explore the extent to which trauma-informed work is taking place. While we find that our sample of lawyers typically have a very good knowledge of sexual violence and the trauma it can cause, there is less certainty about how to accommodate the impacts into practice. Moreover, there is a tendency to prioritise individual healing and medicalise a form of social injustice. We conclude by emphasising the need for legal training and education on a trauma-informed approach which accounts for the social and political dimensions of sexual violence and trauma.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Godden-Rasul N, Wiper C

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Law and Society

Year: 2024

Volume: 51

Issue: 2

Pages: 189-211

Print publication date: 01/06/2024

Online publication date: 29/04/2024

Acceptance date: 01/10/2023

Date deposited: 20/10/2023

ISSN (print): 0263-323X

ISSN (electronic): 1467-6478

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd

URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jols.12453

DOI: 10.1111/jols.12453

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