Sexual assault is normally unexpected and it drastically impacts one’s life. Not only does it effect the victim but it affects life that is surrounding the victim. The effects of sexual assault is demonstrated in Joyce Carol Oates novel, We Were the Mulvaneys. In the novel, Marianne Mulvaney is apart of a seemingly perfect family. Marianne has three brothers, her dad owns a successful roofing business, they live on a farm with an abundance of animals, and everyone seems to look up to their family. Everyone loves Marianne, they believe she is as perfect as the rest of the family. One day, after the Valentine's day dance, Marianne Mulvaney had become a victim of sexual assault. She then broke the family code and their family then began to fall …show more content…
apart. The family had been torn apart because of the sexual assault Marianne experienced and the effects that it has on her life. Both their family and the community had been changed forever. Sexual assault impacts the victim both emotionally and physically. These impacts can last either a short time or they could be long-term effects. However, sexual assault does not only impact the victim. Many different aspects of the surrounding life including loved ones, which includes family, friends, and significant others, and the community are all drastically impacted by sexual assault. There are various ways that the community and loved ones are impacted. The victim of sexual assault is not the only victim. Sexual assault leaves an emotional impact on the victim. Many different long-term effects can be left on its victims. Some of these “effects include anxiety, shock, intense fear, suicidal thinking, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder” (Doak). There are many different and serious mental illnesses that can be caused by sexual assault. Mental illnesses are difficult to learn how to cope with and it could also cost the victim money to try to take care of them. The victim could also not completely understand the assault. Many sexual assaults go unreported because victims are often “unaware that what happened to them constituted rape. Other factors that contribute to underreporting include the victim’s fear that she will be blamed rather than the attacker" ("Date Rape"). The victim could believe that what happened to them does not classify as an assault. There are many reasons why the victim may not believe it was sexual assault. They might believe it was not assault because it was not caused by a stranger or they believe that because it was not rape it does not matter as much because it is not as serious. They could also believe that it is their fault that the assault occurred. They tell themselves that there were ways that they could have prevented the assault, for example, dressing differently, not going out alone at night, or making sure they do not accidentally suggest anything. They believe that because they did not follow those ways it is consequently their own fault. If the victim believes that it is their fault, they then might think that others will believe that they are to blame for the assault as well. This can cause the victim to not report the assault therefore they would not receive any help and would have to cope with the event and the emotional pain on their own. Sexual assault can cause victims to suffer from not only emotional effects but also physical effects. Victims are also physically impacted by sexual assault. It can leave both short-term and long-term physical effects on them. The victim could have many different types of physical injuries after an assault. After a sexual assault has occurred and been reported, a doctor will examine the victim’s “entire body for bite marks, bruises, hematomas, swelling, redness, tenderness, lacerations, and scratch or finger marks. Some patients may have rope burns on the wrists or cigarette burns on the body" (D'Epiro). There are many smaller injuries that a victim could obtain after the assault. These injuries do not last very long compared to other injuries that could occur. Although some of the injuries caused by sexual assault are many different types of small short-term injuries, they are not the only physical effects that a victim could receive. There are also long-term physical effects along with the short-term effects. Seuxual assault can impact the victims overall health. In a study that compared women who had not experienced criminal victimization to female victims of sexual assault, “the victims rated themselves as significantly less healthy, visited the physician nearly twice as often, and incurred double the medical costs" ("Sexual Abuse"). Victims could become less healthy or believe that they are not as healthy after an assault. People who have not experienced sexual assault are typically healthier and feel healthier. There are other medical problems that are directly related to the assault, which could include sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Not only does the victim have to endure these effects, but they often cost the victim a substantial amount of money. The medical expenses associated with all the injuries and illnesses caused by the assault is not cheap. There are many different ways that the victim of sexual assault is impacted however they are not the only ones impacted. Sexual assault also leaves an impact on the loved ones of the victim. It can impact the families of the victim drastically. In the novel, We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates, the only daughter in their family, Marianne, was raped after the Valentine's Day dance. Before this happened, they were seen as the perfect family, however, afterwards their family was changed forever. It broke up the family and "One by one, [they] went away" (Oates 189). The family had fallen apart because of what happened to Marianne. Marianne was sent away to live somewhere else until her father could move on. The situation causes her father to become an alcoholic, her brothers to start to dislike and lose respect for their father, and eventually it leads to them all leaving. Sexual assault can cause many issues within the family and can even make the family fall apart. Sexual assault can also impact other loved ones of the victim, such as their friends and significant others. In a survey, out of the loved ones of the victim, “96.6% felt angry at the assailant, 71.7% felt shocked, and 68.3% wanted to get even. Ten per cent of friends had nightmares about the assault, 8.3% were afraid of what others would think, and 6.7% felt alone in dealing with it" (Morrison). The loved ones of the victim can often feel helpless in that situation because they are unsure of what to do. They could feel helpless because they do not understand what the victim is going through and how they feel. There are many different ways that it could impact them emotionally. They would then have to learn how to cope with the occurrence. They would also have to try to learn how they can help the victim deal with it. Sexual assault can also be costly to the loved ones of the victim as they may need to help pay for legal and medical expenses. Sexual assault impacts more than just the victim and loved ones, it also impacts the community. The community is also impacted drastically by sexual assault in various ways.
There are many different aspects of the community that is impacted. Places in the community that may be affected include "schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, campuses, and cultural or religious communities may feel fear, anger, or disbelief if a sexual assault happened in their community" ("Effects of Sexual Violence"). The entire community can be torn apart because of the assault. Sexual assault does not only impact the victim, it impacts many different places and people in the community and the assault can tear at the fabric of the communities well-being. There are also other impacts on the community other than the emotional impact. Additionally, the community could be impacted financially. There are many financial costs that are associated with sexual assault, which “include medical and mental health services, legal expenses, lost work time and productivity, theft and damage to property, and the incalculable lost contributions of individuals affected by sexual violence" ("Effects of Sexual Violence"). Along with the financial costs there are also intangible costs such as a decrease in quality of life. All of the costs that are associated with rape could add up to as much as $240,000 for just one sexual assault. The community would be negatively impacted due all of the different costs that are associated with sexual assault. The community is impacted in many different ways by sexual assault drastically along with the
victim. The victim of sexual assault is not the only one that is harmed. There are many physical effects that can have a short-term or long-term impact on the victim. Along with the physical impact there is also an emotional impact on the victim. The victim could obtain many different mental disorders. There are also many financial costs that coincide with the emotional and physical injuries. Although the victim is impacted drastically, they are not the only one impacted. The loved ones of the victim including family, friends, and significant others are affected. Sexual assault can cause many issues within the family and could even make the family fall apart. Loved ones could also be impacted emotionally and might not know how to handle the situation. Not only are loved ones impacted but the community is also majorly impacted by sexual assault in various ways. Many different aspects of the community can be impacted by sexual assault. The community can be in distress and feel torn after an assault occurs. Although the community is impacted emotionally, it is impacted financially as well. There are many different ways that sexual assault affects life and sexual assault leaves a lasting impact on the surrounding community including everyone it.
Sexual assault can be something that will scar someone for the rest of their life. It is also something that can be very hard to understand and cope with. Melinda Sordino is sexually assaulted in this
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 what is sure to be a very solemn matter for all American students and their families across the country , in January 2013 , President Obama, the office of the Vice President and the White House Council on Women and Girls converged and issued a renewed call to action against rape and sexual assault report which analyzes the most recent reliable data about this issue and identifies who are the most in peril victims of this malefaction, investigates the costs of this violence both for victims and communities , and describes the replication very often inadequate of the US malefactor equity system.
Sexual assault is the act of sexual intercourse without consent of the other person according to the New South Wales Consolidation Act of 1900 (Austlii 2011) and is also described by the Australian Standard Offence Classification as ‘non-consensual’ acts or intents of sexual nature (ASOC 2008, p. 31). It has become one of the most predominate crimes creating social harm in Australia. Social harm is defined as the negative influence through consequences impacting the individual on the living conditions of the surrounding public (Cain & Howe 2008, p. 26). Sexual assault poses a social threat to all aspects of the community, spreading insecurity in the 9000 victims across Australia and 1900 victims in NSW alone as indicated in the Australian Bureau of Statistics Crime Victimisation Report (ABS 2011, p. 40). This is supported by the victimization rate of all sexually assaulted victims between ages 10 to 14 being 4 times greater than all the other age groups (ABS 2010).
According to Campus Sexual Assault: Suggested Policies and Procedures “the consequences of sexual assault can be very serious.” This means that it can lead to many outcomes which one could be hospitalization. The effects on sexual assault on a person can be very traumatic and it can be difficult for some people to overcome it. Another concern that they have stated is pregnancy, STD’s and HIV. The reason they are concerned about this which could certainties be a consequence of sexual assault is because not many girls want to go through with this because they were violated and they might not be able to take care of this child well. They might have to worry if they got an STD’s from them because they might as well have a sexual transmitted disease and who knows where this person went. HIV is the biggest consequences because as yet they couldn’t have found a cure and it is not curable at all so they are stuck with HIV for rest of their
Joe and Bazil 's status as the immediate family members to a sexual assault survivor allows readers to see how sexual assault can impact an entire family unit; a frequent situation that many people find themselves in, but don 't know how to sensibly handle emotionally. Through Joe 's perspective as a child in this novel, Erdrich guides her audience into understanding how complex of a societal issue sexual assault is by displaying how far reaching its effects are on the victim, family, and community of a
According to Kathleen Hirsch, the author of “Fraternities of Fear: Gang Rape, Male Bonding, and the Silencing of Women” 1 in every 4 women attending college will be the victim of sexual assault at some point during her academic career. Or in another study reported in the “The sexual Victimization of College Women” there are 35.3 incidents of sexual assault in a group of 1,000 women in a time span of 6.91 months (Statistics). Obviously sexual assault is a huge problem that should be taken very seriously. Some colleges have wonderful programs put in place that provides great services to help those students who have been have been sexually assaulted and programs that help education and prevent sexual assault.
Sexual assault is defined as any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and In the United States 80% of sexual assault victims are under the age of 30. Of that 80%, 44% are under the age of 18 (RAINN, 2016). That leaves 36% of victims between the ages of 18 and 30. These percentages become even more alarming when that 80% is of about 293,000 victims of secual assualt each year (RAINN, 2016). It is estimated that 1 in every 6 women in the US has been or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. The risks of sexual assault increase on college campuses. Women ages 18-24 who are enrolled in college are 3 times more likely than women in general to suffer from sexual violence (RAINN, 2016). One would think that with all these women being sexually assaulted, one would hear more about it, or perhaps the police stations would constantly be busy. This is not the case. Sexual assault is one of the most unreported crimes, with 68% still being left unreported (RAINN, 2016). This could be because of every 100 rapists, only 2 will spend a day in jail. Of the 32 out of 100 that would be reported, only 7 are referred to an arrest (RAINN, 2016). Why would men or women want to report sexual assault when the system that is supposed to protect them fails so often, and why does this system continue to fail?
There are many problems rapes could cause besides the ones highlighted already. 35% of men report significant short-term or long-term impacts such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A few more would include anxiety, depression, fearfulness, or post-traumatic stress disorder. The thoughts of future occurrences would consume their thoughts as the use excessive precaution that could have a little effect would be taken. The Withdrawal from relationships or friendships and an increased sense of isolation as well as avoiding people or places that are related to the assault or abuse. Despite being the least disclosed crime, it cost the U.S annually more than any other crime.
Rape causes depression, loss of self-esteem, self-incrimination, and suicide. Therefore the consequences of rape should be life in prison or put in a mental institution. Rape should be banned nationally because you don’t know who could be raped next. Victims fear personal and family safety after a tragic incident like being raped.
We all have the means and capability to make a change in this world for the better of sexual assault. Whether it be reporting the incident, the victim retelling his or her story to those who’ll listen, or forming groups against any mean of sexual assault. This would greatly help indeed, but take this into consideration; what will happen if such a thing were never to be done? That being the case, we would more than likely suffer in the long run for having much more campus attenders being violated and sexually assaulted. Especially for our known individuals who’re attending schools for semesters; we’re basically saying that we could care less about the wellbeing of our friends, family, and associates who are by themselves on campuses; that if they get sexually assaulted, it’ll be their own faults. In actuality, the fault will have been ours. We don’t want that, do
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
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.
Exposure and Outcome Rape can ruin your life. The sexually violent act is associated with a long list of public health concerns, including disease, unwanted pregnancy, physical trauma, mental and emotional suffering, and death. While rape can be simply defined as sex without consent, the impact rape has on society is complex. Victims are often stigmatized. They feel ashamed, weak, and at fault.
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,