Silenced by Culture and Emotion: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Incest Survivors’ Silent Coping in Indonesia
Keywords:
Silence, Incest, Trauma, Collectivist culture, Spiritual coping, Sexual abuse survivorsAbstract
Background of study: Sexual violence within families—particularly incest—is one of the most concealed forms of abuse in collectivist and religious societies such as Indonesia. Victims’ silence is often misinterpreted as passivity, while in reality, it reflects complex coping strategies shaped by cultural and emotional contexts that remain underexplored.
Aims and scope of paper: This paper explores the contextual meaning of silence among female incest survivors in Indonesia, a country shaped by strong collectivist and religious norms. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study examines how silence operates not as mere passivity but as an active coping mechanism. It focuses on survivors’ lived experiences, highlighting how silence functions as protection, self-regulation, and emotional negotiation within oppressive family and societal structures. The study contributes to the discourse on trauma and gender-based violence, emphasizing culturally sensitive psychological responses in contexts where abuse is often silenced.
Methods: A qualitative approach was employed using IPA. The study involved 22 female survivors (aged 18–38) and 5 professional informants. Data were collected through narrative interviews and analyzed idiographically using descriptive and conceptual coding. The process was supported by source triangulation and expert discussions.
Results: The analysis revealed four main themes: (1) silence as protection from social stigma, (2) silence as a manifestation of shame and self-blame, (3) silence driven by fatalistic religious interpretations, and (4) silence as emotional loyalty to the perpetrator. Silence is not interpreted as the absence of voice, but rather as a survival strategy within a silencing social system.
Conclusion: Silence among survivors is a culturally embedded survival mechanism. Effective interventions must address the emotional, religious, and social dimensions of trauma, offering safe, respectful spaces for healing. This study contributes to understanding passive coping in the context of incest within culturally restrictive settings.
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