Neurobiology of Sexual Assault 2-Part Webinar Series
Space available! Open to faculty and staff.
You’re invited to join Project Safe staff for an upcoming 2-part webinar series. This is a new webinar commissioned by Ending Violence Against Women International. Please join us for either or both sessions, as you’re able. Feel free to bring your lunch or snacks, come late or leave early, as your schedule permits.
Please share this information with relevant staff and colleagues. All are welcome, although if you plan to bring multiple persons from your area, please let me know. Thank you!
Date: Thursday, September 15 & Monday, September 19
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Kissam Multi-purpose Room
Cost: Free!
Neurobiology of Sexual Assault
2-Part Webinar Series
Dr. James Hopper
Clinical psychologist and independent consultant,
Teaching Associate in Psychology, Harvard Medical School,
and nationally recognized expert on psychological trauma.
Part 1: Experience and Behavior
Thursday, September 15th
90 Minutes
11:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM MT / 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET
Traumatic experiences have immediate, automatic and powerful effects on the human brain. This presentation explains how fear and trauma can alter brain functioning during sexual assault, resulting in experiences and behaviors that are, unfortunately, still commonly misunderstood by many who work with victims of sexual assault.
Participants will learn about the key brain circuitries impacted by fear and trauma, including the prefrontal cortex and the fear circuitry. Participants will come to understand brain-based responses to sexual assault, especially those associated with involuntary habits and reflexes. This presentation provides a critical foundation for learning and applying trauma-informed responses with people who have been sexually assaulted.
Part 2: Experience and Memory
Monday, September 19th
90 Minutes
11:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM MT / 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET
Traumatic experiences have immediate, powerful and potentially long-lasting effects on the human brain. This presentation explains how fear and trauma can alter brain functioning during sexual assault, and alter the encoding and storage of memories in ways that are, unfortunately, still commonly misunderstood by many who work with victims of sexual assault.
Participants will learn about the key brain circuitries impacted by fear and trauma, including the prefrontal cortex and the circuitries of fear and episodic memory. Participants will come to understand brain-based aspects of memory encoding, storage and retrieval that determine what can later be recalled and not recalled, including in investigative interviews and in court. This presentation provides a critical foundation for learning and applying trauma-informed responses with people who have been sexually assaulted.
Objectives
Following this webinar series, participants will be better able to:
- Understand key brain circuitries impacted by fear and trauma.
- List a minimum of three common brain-based, involuntary subjective responses to sexual assault.
- Recognize common brain-based impacts of trauma on attention and memory encoding and storage.
- Identify possible brain-based habitual behaviors determined by social conditioning, and reflexive behaviors selected by evolution, that can occur involuntarily during sexual assault.
- Understand and utilize interviewing methods most likely to help sexual assault victims recall and report the most complete and accurate memories possible.
Presenters
James W. Hopper, Ph.D.
Dr. 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 or sexual assault as adolescents or 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 and served on the Peace Corps Sexual Assault Advisory Council. He consults and teaches nationally and internationally to military and civilian investigators, prosecutors, victim advocates, commanders and higher education administrators.
Questions? Contact: Cara Tuttle Bell, J.D. | Director, Project Safe Center for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response
cara.tuttle.bell@vanderbilt.edu| phone 615.875.0660 | www.vanderbilt.edu/projectsafe