Sexual Assault & the Brain: Experience, Behavior, and Memory
Information
Date & Time
-
-
Description
Traumatic experiences have immediate, powerful, and potentially long-lasting effects on the human brain. This presentation explains, in very accessible ways, how stress and trauma can alter brain functioning during sexual assaults and other traumas. Participants will learn about the key brain circuitries impacted by stress and trauma, including the prefrontal cortex and defense and memory circuitries. Participants will gain increased understanding of brain-based experiences, behaviors, and memory characteristics and learn important implications for their work with victims of sexual assault and other violence. This presentation provides a critical foundation for learning and applying trauma- informed responses with people who have been assaulted.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Medical Doctor
- Psychologist
Presenters
Dr. Jim Hopper is an independent consultant and Teaching Associate in Psychology at Harvard Medical School. For over 25 years Dr. Hopper’s research, clinical and consulting work has focused on the psychological and biological effects of child abuse, sexual assault and other traumatic experiences. As a clinician Dr. Hopper works with adults who have experienced abuse as children and assault as adults. In his forensic work, both criminal and civil, he testifies on short- and long-term impacts of child abuse and sexual assault. Dr. Hopper was a founding board member and longtime advisor to 1in6, a nonprofit serving men who’ve had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences. He consults and teaches nationally and internationally to clinicians as well as military and civilian investigators, prosecutors, victim advocates, commanders and higher education administrators.