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, …show more content…
Since sexual assault is often under-reported, it is critical that further research continues to determine a more accurate statistic so further improvements to caring can be made (Brown et al, 2013). Often studies and data collection are based on non-vulnerable populations, contributing to bias data (Linden, 2011). Attention should not only be focused on the patient, but also on the nurse as very few studies have been conducted on how working with sexual assault patients affects the nurse (Goldblatt, 2009). Of course every nursing specialty path has its benefits and downfalls, but some studies have shown that serious negative effects such as vicarious traumatization can occur while working with sexually assaulted patients (Goldblatt, 2009). This puts the nurse’s state of mental health in crisis, making it imperative that the more research is done to prevent this from occurring (Goldblatt, 2009). Further research also needs to be conducted in the way that information and treatment content is distributed to the public. As seen in the study conducted by Wadsworth and Van Order, it was found that a large amount of sexual assault victims did not know that assistance was available, and as a result did not seek help (2012). Such content about sexual assault should be strategically distributed and placed to optimise the amount of people that can access it, allowing a further understanding to be achieved (Wadsworth et al, 2012). In addition, more research needs to be done on the services that are provided to victims as it has been reported that the services patients received were not beneficial and “inappropriately addresses their needs and experiences” (McLindon, & Harms, 2011, p. 9). A study done by Barbara Simmons had concluded similar ideas and theories (2014). Research is also lacking in regards to how nurses prepare for teaching such patients (Simmons, 2014). With the knowledge of knowing how nurses prepare to
Saunders states that Rape Shield laws are in place to protect victims of sexual assaults and rapes during a criminal trial. They prevent defendants to bring fourth evidence of the victim’s sexual history, orientation or past relationships (Saunders, 2014). Rape can be a very emotional and embarrassing ordeal; it’s very private and personal and can be hard to deal with for years to come. As with many victims of crime especially sexual offenses there are advantages and disadvantages to each new law that is implemented. This paper is designed to analyze the advantages and disadvantage of the Rape Shield Laws.
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
“Often it isn’t the initiating trauma that creates seemingly insurmountable pain, but the lack of support after.” (Harrell) There is a lot of trauma a victim of sexual assault goes through. This trauma can last years if not dealt with properly, in fact, ninety-four percent of women who are raped experience post-traumatic stress disorder and seventy percent of victims experience moderate to severe distress. Melinda Sordino is also a victim of sexual assault, she’s seen going through the life of a grade nine girl trying to fit into a new environment, make new friends, and find herself, all while coping with her past. Melinda’s distant relationship with her parents leads to her lack of confidence to ask for support and becomes one of the major
Sexual assault is an under-reported crime. It is difficult for women to report sexual abuse but it is far more difficult for men. For males, it is exponentially more difficult to report such crimes, thus making it more difficult for victim advocates to present an environment where victims feel comfortable coming forward to report sex crimes. To this end, according to RAINN (2009) male victims of sex related crimes may find it easier to make a first report anonymously, giving them the opportunity to speak to an objective list, specifically trained to address specific and complex emotional issues related to this crime.
Feminist Criminology, 7(2), 146-162. Kinder-Matthews, J. & Co., Ltd. (1994) The 'Standard' of the 'St Working with female sexual abusers. (pp. 57-67). The 'Secondary' of the Miccio & Fonseca, L.C. a.
Rape Trauma Syndrome (n.d.). In Giving Support. Aiding Recovery. Seeking Justice. . Retrieved April 8, 2014
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
The statistics clearly show a group of people who’re affected by the heinous acts of sexual assault. Everyone knows that sexual assault isn’t a topic that’s on the top of the list to talk about; people usually even try to go as far as to hide it or to cover it up. Though, it’s clear for certain; covering something up doesn’t make it alright – It won’t make it go away and the problem is still there. For that exact fact, it is the very reason that sexual assault is something that needs to be brought to the
It is dreadful enough to get raped, but having to see your perpetrator every day and possibly raping you again is a constant fear that many inmates have to encounter. According to the Bureau of Justice (BJS), in 2008 correctional administrators reported 7,444 allegations of sexual abuse in prisons. About 46% of the sexual abuse involved staff with inmates. But these statistics do not include the many cases that go unreported due to a victim’s fear of being punished by their perpetrators and/ or to the embarrassment and humiliation that comes with rape. Although prison rape is prevalent, many individuals find it normal and even find it a laughing matter.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, "when crimes are not reported to the police, victims may not be able to obtain necessary services to cope with the victimization, and offenders may go unpunished." The U.S. Department of Justice Office states that, in order for victims to obtain the necessary services they need, they have to disclose the incident and seek help. Methods My first source, Why Sexual Assault Victims Delay Presenting at Hospitals, was constructed from sexual assault cases presented at the hospital from January 2005 to December 2008; those records were collected from the sexual assault service center. There were 534 records collected and used during the study, 466 were females, and 68 were men.
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 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,
Inertwined with rape myths, are subsequent rape scripts. As Ryan (2011) and Clay-Warner and McMahon-Howard (2009) showed, depending what script is prevalent or dominant, reporting rates and overall acknowledgement can be greatly affected. Our understanding of what constitutes a rape or sexual assault needs to significantly change otherwise countless victims will remained silenced. If the understanding of these crimes was broadened, and the acquaintance scenarios taken more seriously, more victims would come forward, report, and get the help they may desperately need, in addition to aiding the legal system in punishing the offender and improve society’s population.
What does it mean to have power? To me, having power you would mean you would be a leader. A righteous leader of the citizens who you’re leading. To have integrity and power, that would have to make you be honest, which is very important in being a leader.
In 1983-1984 Diana Russell did a study of community women in San Francisco that revealed that 24% of women had experienced a completed rape and 44% had experienced a completed or attempted rape. A national random survey of college women found that one in four had experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetime and 84% of the women knew their attacker (Koss, Gidycz, and Wisniewski, 1987) (Campbell and Wasco, 2005).