Findings revealed from first UK study into experiences of mothers who are survivors of rape pregnancy

UWE Bristol academics have revealed the findings of the first UK-based study of the experiences of mothers who are survivors of rape pregnancy.

The researchers listened to parenting survivors of rape pregnancy to find out about their lived experiences.

Findings showed that the participants in the research had bonded strongly with their children but held deep trauma which had not been disclosed to services.

The study, led by Hannah Jackson, a Counselling Psychologist trainee and therapist at Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS), and supported by Dr Jane Meyrick, found that those willing to come forward to talk about their experiences were all young Black mothers who all have daughters. They talked about frequently relying on informal friendship, family, or church communities.

In response to the findings, the researchers have drawn up a list of recommendations. Among these is one calling for the systematic collection of data on rape-pregnancy in maternity services.

On Wednesday 17 December, the researchers will present their groundbreaking research at a parliamentary roundtable event hosted by Natalie Fleet MP and SARSAS. The event comes two months after the announcement of a proposal to change the law which would ensure men convicted of rape would have their parental rights automatically removed concerning any children conceived through rape.

The roundtable event at Portcullis House will bring together policymakers, survivors’ organisations, researchers and frontline organisations to address the urgent need for trauma-informed, culturally sensitive support for women and children affected by rape pregnancy.

Hannah Jackson said: “The study shows that the trauma women went through often meant they didn’t realise they were pregnant until much later. Their young age, life situations and religious pressures also made it hard for them to feel they truly had a choice about whether to continue the pregnancy. Mothers then carried the heavy responsibility of knowing the truth about how their daughters were conceived, constantly weighing up if, when, and how to share that truth.”

Despite its profound impact, rape-pregnancy remains a hidden issue in UK policy and practice. The team's research revealed that an estimated 3,356 rape pregnancies took place in England and Wales in 2021, with an estimated 50 to 70 per cent giving birth. Around five babies a day are born in the UK as a result of rape, yet survivors’ voices are almost entirely absent from the public discourse.

The study was designed with SARSAS. As all eight participants were London-based young Black mothers, a panel of racially minoritised survivors from Little Ro (a racially minoritised survivors’ charity) provided the researchers with their reflections on the data to improve cultural insight, made possible through a grant award from Higher Education Innovation Funding.

Five key themes emerged from the study, and the researchers then compiled a list of eight recommendations in response to their talks with the mothers:

• Asking and telling should be facilitated for survivors in maternity care. There is a clear evidence base for this in parallel services (sexual health, primary care).
• Systematically collect data on rape-pregnancy in maternity services to undo structural stigma and silencing.
• Ensure trauma-informed, culturally attuned care and disclosure practices.
• Reframing motherhood post rape as potentially reparative.
• Culturally attuned therapists with greater diversity in the offer.
• Strengthen collaboration/co-production with community and third-sector organisations and existing lived experience groups.
• Frame rape-pregnancy as a structural issue influenced by inequality, not solely individual trauma.
• Fill the gaps in the research, the diversity of mothers, and explore the role of the baby's gender.

Dr Jane Meyrick, an Associate Professor of Health Psychology in the School of Social Sciences at UWE Bristol, said: “I was really struck that after an open call for participants to take part in this study, the response was overwhelmingly from young Black mothers, from London, with daughters and from Christian backgrounds. This told us so much about who could tell this story and who couldn’t.”

The parliamentary roundtable event will also present resources for sexual abuse survivors and professionals working with them from Dr Elsa Montgomery, of King’s College London. It will be attended by MPs Jess Asato, the new Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) lead at the Department of Health and Social Care, and Jess Phillips, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and VAWG, and lead on the upcoming new VAWG strategy. The VAWG strategy is due to be published on Thursday 18 December.

A narrated video of a presentation explaining the research study can be found at: https://www.drjanemeyrick.com/vlog-and-video-presentations