The Effects of Ritual Healing on Female Victims of Abuse: A Study of Empowerment and Transformation
Abstract
This research analyzes the effects of ritual healing on women who have been victims of abuse, including incest, rape, and battering. The study was conducted through participant observation of a women's spirituality group. The focus of the analysis is on the process of empowerment as it is experienced in a ritual context that provides a means for cathartic expression as well as participant identification with female symbols of power. The findings of this study suggest that women-centered rituals are effective in reducing fear, releasing anger, increasing one's sense of power, and improving the overall mental health of those who have experienced the trauma of victimization.
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Other populations under intense stress such as abuse victims and palliative care patients often engage in excessive ritualization.
“Other populations under intense stress such as abuse victims (Jacobs, 1989) and palliative care patients (Romanoff & Thompson, 2006) often engage in excessive ritualization as well.”
From The Psychology of Rituals: An Integrative Review and Process-Based Framework (2018) · cites this paper as Jacobs, 1989
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- Authors
- Jacobs, J. L.
- Corresponding author
- Jacobs, Janet L.
- Venue
- Sociological Analysis
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1989
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 265
- ISSN
- 0038-0210 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2118676939
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 0.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Sociological Analysis (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Theological Perspectives and Practices
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
- Keywords
- healing rituals, women's spirituality, empowerment, catharsis, incest, rape, domestic violence, trauma, mental health, women's organizations
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