1. Tonic Immobility as a Defensive Trauma Response to Rape: Bridging Public Health and Law.
- Author
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de Heer BA and Jones LC
- Subjects
- Humans, Female, Crime Victims legislation & jurisprudence, Crime Victims psychology, United States, Rape legislation & jurisprudence, Rape psychology, Public Health legislation & jurisprudence, Public Health methods, Immobility Response, Tonic
- Abstract
There is widespread scientific evidence that validates tonic immobility (TI) as part of the trauma response in victims of rape, and criminal justice practitioners are increasingly trained in trauma-informed approaches. Yet, legal and policy definitions of consent do not fully recognize TI during the incident as evidence of nonconsent . Using a systematic review of U.S. law and policy regarding sexual violence and consent, this paper analyzes the substantial legal reform of rape law and definitions of consent, suggesting ways to further integrate TI into existing law and legal practices to improve public health approaches and justice responses for victims., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
- Published
- 2024
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