Sexual Assault Essay

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It has been known for decades that substantial numbers of people have experience sexual assault it is one of the most offensive crimes committed in our society. The different types of sexual assault are rape, statutory rape, gang rape, rape in concert which is by stander behavior, sodomy, penetration with foreign object, child molestation, and spousal / martial rape/intimate partner sexual assault. Many people believe sexual assault is done by strangers but that is not true. In most cases the perpetrators is someone close to the victim or family. According to the Bureau of Justice in 2005-2010 78% of sexual assault violence was done by a family member, friend, acquaintance, or intimate partner. Berzofsky (2013). Many victims feel guilty or responsible for being victimized, the trauma caused by sexual assault often results in emotional stress that may be long lasting. Every victim reacts differently and it is helpful to have a support group to interact with people that have experienced the same things, somewhere where the victim can feel safe.
Overview of the problem
“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...

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...rvene and potentially prevent sexual assault from occurring. Group counseling is often a benefit for victims because group members reduce their feelings of isolation, learn from each other’s experiences and gain additional support from others experiencing similar events. Educating our community of sexual assault prevention is a great way to avoid sexual assault throughout our community and a great way to get the point across to our children. Sexual assault is a big issue in today’s society but I do believe we can minimize the percentage of sexual assault cases by educating everyone about sexual assault and how to prevent it. Rape or sexual assault can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. An important point to remember is that no one deserves to be sexually assaulted. You Are Not Alone!

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