Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which Canadian victims and survivors of violent crime describe and make sense of their posttraumatic experience(s). Method: This qualitative study drew on open-ended responses from a mixed methods online survey with Canadian victims and survivors of violent crime (N = 435). Participants in the online survey identified as women (n = 335), men (n = 95), or two-spirit, nonbinary, or gender queer (n = 5); and had experienced partner violence (35%, n = 154), sexual violence (32%, n = 141), homicide or other violent death of a family member (22%, n = 96); or other types of violence (10%, n = 44). Additionally, in-depth narrative interviews were completed with a subsample of survey participants (n = 71). Findings: Analyses resulted in multiple themes organized into three broad categories: (a) negative posttraumatic changes, (b) positive posttraumatic changes, and (c) resistance to the language of posttraumatic growth. Conclusion: Results suggest the importance of approaching the posttraumatic experience with a focus on perceptions of change rather than growth. The concept of "posttraumatic change" is more responsive to the dynamic process of change that victims and survivors of violence experience, which is often difficult to frame with language focused exclusively on stress or growth. Clinical Impact StatementThe posttraumatic experiences of those harmed by violence are complex and nuanced. For clinicians, counsellors, or crisis workers, a shift from focusing on posttraumatic stress or growth to "posttraumatic change" may be necessary to fully capture the breadth of victims or survivors' narratives after violence. The concept of posttraumatic change offers more space to explore differences and ambivalence for victims or survivors who are not ready for or resist the language of growth.
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