Forms of sexual victimization are considered among the most severe and underreported crimes in the United States. The occurrence of sexual assault is a pervasive social problem with lasting effects for victims. The victim’s personal characteristics coupled with multiple external factors make it impossible to predict how an individual might react following a sexual assault. Meaning psychological; depression, anger, or anxiety are considered. According to Bartol, “the more common psychological reactions to sexual assault are PTSD, shame, helplessness, anger, or depression. The quality of life usually suffers as victims experience sleeplessness, nightmares, social isolation, flashbacks, and intense feelings of insecurity (Bartol, 2011). Also, behavioral responses are considered and include not fighting back during a rape/sexual assault, continuing to date an assailant, or not reporting the sexual assault until months …show more content…
Johnson will have to advocate her position on the various reasons on why victims do not report sexual assault or fail to contact the police. This can be difficult for most professionals, especially mental health professionals, the courtroom can be an extremely adversary environment. Furthermore, “many victims choose to not report or wait some period of time before reporting, for a variety of reasons, including: (1) confusion, guilt, and shock about the assault; (2) not immediately recognizing the assault as rape; (3) fear of retaliation; (4) fear of being disbelieved or blamed; (5) fear of public exposure and loss of privacy; (6) fear of being treated badly by the criminal justice system; (7) denial or suppression; and (8) psychogenic amnesia” (NCVLI, 2014). Rape or sexual assault can be very difficult topics to talk about, and many victims find it intimidating to speak in front of a courtroom. Dr. Johnson will need discuss the pros and cons of asking these women to appear on the witness stand and testify. Listed below are the pros and
According to the authors of “Enhancing Care and Advocacy for Sexual Assault Survivors on Canadian Campuses”, “Sexual assault has immediate and long-term health consequences for victims including suicide, HIV infection, depression, and social isolation,” (Quinlan, Clarke, and Miller). Another common side effect these victims face is post-traumatic stress disorder. Someone experiencing PTSD may have random outburst of anger, have trouble concentrating on day to day tasks, or may even have flashbacks of their attack. These consequences make it hard for victims to get back into the normal routine of everyday life (“Effects of Sexual Assault”). In a case at Amherst College a young women named Angie Epifano faced many of these consequences after she was raped by an acquaintance in one of the college’s dormitories. While immediately choosing to ignore what had happened to her Epifano soon became an emotional wreck. Before the attack Epifano had believed herself to be an extremely strong and independent individual. In an article done on Epifano’s story she stated “Everything I had believed myself to be was gone in 30 minutes,” (Epifano). Sexual assault takes away a piece of someone. With their hopes and dreams clouded by the tragedy they have endured, victims face a lifetime of
In a study done by The Journal of Clinical Psychology, “the primary reason for not reporting seemed to combine a type of guilt with embarrassment.” With the help of utilizing support groups, clubs, and other programs among college campuses that are designed to make the victim’s experience a little easier, the victims may not feel as embarrassed to come out and may feel safer in their decision to move forward with their case. One of the most notable effects of rape is the psychological impact that it has on the victim immediately as well as long-term. Many victims feel depression, anxiety, and other sudden onset mental illnesses as a result of their attack and can last for years post-attack. The Journal of Interpersonal Violence reported that in their study of 95 victims over a 12 week long period, “by 3 months post-crime 47% still met the full criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” This prolonged experience of emotional trauma can weaken the person’s overall mental wellbeing and cause the trauma to stick with them for the rest of their lives, especially if there are no support resources around them. As cited in the Journal of Clinical Psychology study previously, the number one reason for not reporting is the feeling of embarrassment which causes the victims to not talk about their experience and to shut out those around
Sexual assault is defined as a type of behaviour that occurs without explicit consent from the recipient and under sexual assault come various categories such as sexual activities as forces sexual intercourse, incest, fondling, attempted rape and more (Justice.gov. 2017). People often become victims of sexual assault by someone they know and trust (Mason & Lodrick, 2013) which is conflicting to the public’s perception and beliefs that offenders are strangers. Women are the main victims for sexual assault and are 5 times more likely to have been a victim of sexual assault from a male (Wright, 2017, p. 93). Men are victims of sexual assault however only 0.7% of men, compared to 3.2% of women, experience some form of sexual assault which highlights how vulnerable women are compared to men. Sexual assault is publicised and exposed in the media, however is often
The mental effect for survivors can be severe. Students in college go to further their education and start their adult lives; nobody assumes they will be a victim of sexual assault. After being sexually assaulted it will take time for the victim to set apart assault and consensual sex. Post-traumatic stress such as depression, mood swings, sleepless nights and nervousness are common consequences for the victim. Depression can eventually develop into suicidal thoughts. Although that horrifying scene will never be permanently deleted from their lives; victims can recover with support from family and friends, by seeking justice and receiving
Every two minutes, an American is sexually assaulted. According to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey, there are an average of 237,868 victims of rape and sexual assault every year. 9 of every 10 rape victims were female in 2003, and 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of rape in her lifetime. The question people have to ask themselves is why rape is so common. It is time to accept that the rape epidemic is not just about the crimes themselves, but the cultural and political willful ignorance known as rape culture. Rape culture is an environment where rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture has become so common that it is nearly invisible, but it present and strong in everyday life.
To most Americans Rape has a tendency to be one of the cruelest forms of criminal violence. The victim can suffer from incredible injuries, and substantial amounts of embarrassment. Rendered powerless by physical force, threats, or fear, after which being forced to submit to sexual acts, including vaginal penetration, oral copulation, sodomy, and penetration opening with a foreign object, the victim is left virtually alone. Rape is an intrusion into the most private and intimate parts of the body, as well as an assault on the core of the self. Whether or not the victim acquires any physical injuries, the psychological impact of a sexual assault is severe. Additionally, the painful, post-trauma symptoms that usually always accompany rape are long-lasting. Even the victims who seem to have been able to move on with their life often find that an extreme feeling of powerlessness and vulnerability remains close and can easily, and unexpectedly, be re-experienced. A most important aspect in the long-term impact of rape is that the assault negatively changes the victim...
Sexual assault is horrific happens far too often, and it something that should never happen. Sexual assault is grave sin against a woman; one that saddens and angers her Creator. The psychological effects associated with the assault such as shame, guilt, depression and anxiety can haunt the victim for many years after the assault. While there are many effective medical and psychological treatments that can greatly benefit a woman who has been sexually assaulted; none of them can take the place of the redemptive healing that comes from God.
“Sexual assault of women by strangers is but one aspect of the larger set of sexual violence related problems”. Dedel (2011) Sexual assault is a crime of violence that comes from the offender’s need to exercise power and control over the victim. They feel that taking something by force is them being in control it is a satisfaction to the victim. Sexual assault can be defined as any type of non-consensual sexual contact. Survivors usually feel shame, embarrassment and fear. Some victim’s fear that nobody is going to believe them, they are afraid they will be blamed for what happened and unfortunately they don’t report the crime. Survivors of sexual assault are more...
According to a statement addressing the sexual victimization of college women The Crime and Victimization in America states that, “ One out of four women will be sexually assaulted on a college campus.” This disturbing fact has not minimized throughout the years, instead it is continuing to worsen throughout college campuses. Sexual assault is not an act to be taken lightly. Society must stop pinpointing the individuals who commit these crimes one by one, but rather look at the problem as a whole and begin to understand the main cause of sexual assault and possible methods to reduce these acts of sexual coercion.
“Examined reactions to rape by interviewing 27 female rape victims at least 1 yr after the assault and assessing their current functioning through such measures as the Beck Depression Inventory and Profile of Mood States. Victims were significantly more depressed and reported less pleasure in daily activities than 26 mat...
Survivors of sexual assault often experience feelings of "shame, guilt, anxiety, or depression" that intensify when they are not supported by “friends, families, or authorities” (Chivers-Wilson, 2006, p,114). Rape Myths Over 90% of sexual assault victims on university campuses in the U.S. did not report their assault (National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), 2015, p.2). Hudspith et al. (2023) and Peterson (2019)
Sexual assault is a traumatic event that can cause extreme psychological effects on the victim. These effects can be short-term, and they can manifest themselves into long-term effects, depending on the individual and how the sexual assault occurred. Victims of sexual assault can be either male or female, with both sexes having fairly similar psychological effects. In addition to these psychological effects, some individuals develop Rape Trauma Syndrome or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can be more easily classified as short-term versus long-term responses. Every individual is different and may differ in their reactions to this event; there is no normal or common way to react (Kaminker, 1998, pg. 23).
Sexual assault nurse examiners (also known as SANE) are a special type of forensic nurses who have received extra education and training in caring for the sexually assaulted and/or sexually abused (Maier, 2012). They assess both the physical and psychological effects of violence on their particular patient and react accordingly (Simmons, 2014). In addition, they witness how victims are medically and personally treated and remain present during police interviews, making them an excellent resource for information for further studies regarding sexual assault (Maier, 2012). Similarly, they work in collaboration with the medical and legal systems, giving the victim a witness to state their initial and extended findings if trial is called upon (Simmons,
Sexual assault is an offense that plagues many U.S. citizens. Although some studies show that rape is on the decline, other studies report that the phenomena actually occuring is that less rape victims are reporting the crime. In fact, approximately 68% of sexual assaults go unreported to the police according to the U.S. Department of Justice in a National Crime Victimization Survey from 2008-2012. It is common knowledge that rape victims are usually severely traumatized after the event, which leaves them susceptible to various emotions such as shame, anxiety, numbness, fear, denial, and guilt. Because of this, many rape victims decide to repress their experience and let it go unheard. However, not only does this prevent them from healing emotionally,
There are many different types of victims we have discussed over the course of this class, but we’re only going to talk about two types in the following paper. These two types of victims are common just as any another victim across America. These include sex assault victims and child abuse victims, which are both primary victims in cases. The two share a tie together, both are a victim of abuse and can cause lifelong consequences, but they also pose many differences as well. Many questions arise when talking about victims, for example why is a child or adult being abused and what are the life altering affects to these actions. Throughout this paper we discuss both sexual assault victims and child abuse victims and compare and contrast between the two.