Sexual Assault Essay

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Defining Sexual Assault Sexual assault is a worldwide epidemic that has long lasting and devastating effects on the victims. The terms sexual abuse and sexual assault are often used interchangeably. Most often the term “sexual abuse” is used when the victim is under the age of 18 and “sexual assault” is used when the victim is over the age of 18. For the purposes of this paper, “sexual assault” will be most often used as this provides a better description of the impact it has on the victims. Women are more often the victim than men; however, all races, cultures, and societies are affected by sexual assault and child sexual abuse (Davies and Jones, 2013). It is nearly impossible to determine exactly how many women have been victimized. There are two primary reasons that make such estimates difficult. First, there are so many different definitions and terms used to describe sexual abuse and assault and definitions vary from state to state (Holcomb and Holcomb, 2011). According to Holcomb and Holcomb (2011, p 27), sexual assault is used as an overarching term, encompassing a large number of sexual behaviors – physical, verbal, and psychological – that violate the health and well-being of an individual. Holcomb and Holcomb (2011) provides their own definition of sexual assault as “any type of sexual behavior or contact where consent is not freely given or obtained and is accomplished through force, intimidation, violence, coercion, manipulation, threat, deception, or abuse of authority” (p. 28). In contrast to Holcomb and Holcomb’s broad definition of sexual assault, many researchers advocate for a more narrow interpretation to prevent over reporting, thus inflating statistics (Holcomb and Holcomb, 2011). The Lancashire Sexu... ... middle of paper ... ...like to be isolated; because of this he responds to the victim with grace, peace, and mercy. Finally, healing takes place because of a new identity found in Christ. Christ removes the identity of “victim” to an identity of a child of the living God which is only offered through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Conclusion 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.

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