Repetition Compulsion and Trauma in Survivors of Recurrent Sexual Assault: A Qualitative Psychoanalytic Study

Aim: When an individual has already suffered a dozen sexual assaults before reaching adulthood, it goes beyond mere coincidence. While sexual assault is a violation of the victim’s integrity, some victims nevertheless experience persistent feelings of guilt and shame. This study aims to explore the psychological mechanisms underlying the compulsive repetition of sexual victimization, with particular attention to guilt, shame, and unresolved trauma. The question then is how a victim can find themselves trapped in a cycle of repeated assaults, driven by a generally unconscious urge. Methods: Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in a therapeutic context and analysed using the IPSE approach, with triangulation across two cases to enhance analytical depth. Results: Unresolved psychological distress and embodied traumatic memory may contribute to patterns of repeated victimization through unconscious processes of repetition. These findings contribute to psychoanalytic and trauma-informed understandings of repeated victimization by reframing repetition as an unconscious response to unresolved trauma rather than a conscious one. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of trauma-informed clinical approaches that focus on integrating traumatic experience rather than attributing meaning to perceived victim behavior.