FORO

Abstract

When I first started this project I, like many others, had this preconceived notion that the majority of people that experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were combat veterans. My prior service might be to blame in part, but none-the-less I was able to learn from this mistake. I soon learned that a majority of people that have experienced PTSD were survivors of sexual assault. Most of these survivors were assaulted by people whom they knew. This revelation has made a traumatic impact on my project. With further examination, I learned that sexual assault is comparable to, or larger than, the likelihood of a PTSD diagnosis associated with severe combat exposure or civilian sexual assault. These compounded discoveries have led me to use sexual assault reports as the key ingredient in locating a site in Texas that would be prevalent to the community in the vicinity. This location would also embody the safety of privacy, and embrace a setting that would liberate patients from the stressful environment in the city encompassing them.