“I found this community that I really belonged to,” said Kelsey Woodward, a graduate in psychology at Bowling Green. By “community” Woodward meant the group of people who raise awareness of sexual assault, advocate for survivors, and create support spaces for those affected.

During her sophomore year at Western Kentucky University, Woodward invited a guest speaker from Hope Harbor, Inc., the local center for sexual trauma recovery, to their meeting at the Psychology Club. Learning about the organization made them get more involved. Woodward became a volunteer at Hope Harbor and made her volunteering the center of her research at graduate schools.

“Statistics on sexual violence show that this is a widespread problem that many people in society will unfortunately face,” said Woodward’s mentor on the faculty, WKU Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences, Dr. Matthew Woodward. “Survivors of sexual assault experience a number of psychological problems after being assaulted. Most of the work to date has focused on female sexual assault survivors, although data shows that around 10% of rape survivors are men. Much less is known about male sexual assault and more work is needed to understand how to better address and manage post-sexual assault problems by men. “

“My work at Hope Harbor inspired my whole thesis and what I want to explore,” said Kelsey Woodward. Her thesis topic, entitled “Shame, Perceived Social Support, and PTSD: Bridging the Gap Between Male and Female Sexual Assault Survivors,” looks at mental health outcomes for both female and male survivors of sexual assault.

The research topic comes from years of volunteer work. In 2016, Kelsey Woodward began working as a volunteer lawyer on the 24-hour crisis hotline. He later visited the hospital to support the survivors. Calls to the hotline come from survivors or their family members and friends.

“I kept finding doors that opened [to get more involved in the topic and community]. I started working at Hope Harbor and then found Rivendell and then BRASS [Barren River Area Safe Space]. I also did research with the Child Advocacy Center so the community is what helps me grow the most, ”she said.

Kelsey Woodward stated that she spent some time as a clinical intern at Rivendell Behavioral Health Services for a semester with juvenile sexual assault abusers aged 14-18. She also conducted research entitled “The Effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy in Non-Abusive Caregivers of Recently Abused Children” for a project with the Child Advocacy Center in the Barren River area.

“I’ve seen the full spectrum of how sexual assault is treated on the side of the survivor and the perpetrator. That’s what led me to my thesis idea, ”said Kelsey Woodward.

“Kelsey’s thesis is an important step forward in understanding and comparing the effects of sexual assault between male and female survivors,” said Dr. Matthew Woodward.

Kelsey Woodward intentionally investigates sexual assault involving various population groups.

“I just want people to speak more inclusive about survivors and offer survivors help and services,” she said. “It’s not just a woman’s problem.”

Kelsey Woodward shared that anyone affected by sexual assault can turn to Hope Harbor to connect them with resources, support, and activities that will allow them to meet others whose lives have been similarly affected.

“If someone ever feels lost and feels like nobody knows what they’re going through, then [Hope Harbor] can help, ”said Kelsey Woodward.

After Woodward graduates in May 2021, she plans to move to Colorado in hopes of becoming a case manager and working with vulnerable youth and homeless people who have experienced trauma in the past. She plans to continue her research in a doctoral program.

“Everyone is sexually assaulted in one way or another,” she said. “I got louder as I got more involved in the community.” She wanted to make a difference, so she uses her research and volunteering to do it.

Further information on the Psychological Sciences program at the WKU can be found at https://www.wku.edu/psychological-sciences/.

You can find more information about Hope Harbor at https://hopeharbor.net/.