Book – Violence subie et résilience

Book – Violence subie et résilience
Author : 

Score:  7/10

Year:  2015

Publisher: Érès 

ISBN 978-2-7492-4786-1

Pages 232 (starts at 9) 

Language: French 

Detailed review on my mental health blog

I recently chose three psychology books in one of our libraries, and decided reading this one first. It discusses, in 6 grand (un-numbered) chapters the topic of resilience in view of various traumas, and uses the general term sustained violence.  

This book - my 17th in 2018's Goodread challenge- is academic and uses a lot of scientific jargon - and this isn't limited to psychology, as it adds neuroscience and biological processes (hormonal releases under stress, for example).

Thus, I find that it requires a slower reading, having to break longer chapters in manageable portions (in view of my lack of concentration, and to better grasp the notions imparted) ; and, between chapters, I read fiction. 

The book starts with violence subie et résilience : introduction et historique. This, evidently, is an intro and a summary of the history of psychology/psychiatry's approach and understanding of experience violence, and resilience, in France. It covers the period from 1929 to present day in succinct fashion, from early writing met with taboo and garnering no immediate follow-up, to current nonscientific knowledge, disproving previous assumptions. 

The second chapter, les déterminants neurobiologiques de la résilience is about which neurological factors, sometimes from birth, predetermine resilience, or more struggle in the face of violence and trauma. 
The third is about intra-family violence, the fourth about care of children victims of violence, the fifth studies psychological resilience in adults after confrontation with a possible death, the fifth is the most triggering, discussing clinical approach and care of victims of sexual violence, the sixth about legal expertise from trauma to resilience. 

At the end of each chapter, there was a bibliography for each of its points. 


Overall, more academic, using more jargon and in a drier format, I found this book a tad harder to follow than reading English psychology books ; I also found that it didn't address important societal issues at the root of violence and victimization, especially of women, but I also understand that in France, in 2015, this is probably unrealistic to expect. The first, second and sixte chapters were the most interesting, the fifth the most triggering one, and the others even drier than the rest of the book. 

My biggest complain is that they introduce tests, and answers to questions and tools they only name, but never detail, thus forcing me to research each and every single one of them.