The Physical and Psychological Effects of Rape on Women

979 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effects of intimate partner violence

The Physical and Psychological Effects of Rape on Women Most people think that rape is about sex but it is not. If rape was about getting sex the person would just go and have sex with someone who wants to give it to them. Paying for sex is better than going out and raping someone. Rape is also called sexual assault. Rape is about having power and control over someone. Rape is defined as one person forcing another person, without his or her consent and using violence or threatening violence, to have intercourse or other forms of sexual activity. Usually when people hear about rape they think of a man raping a woman, but rape can happen to anyone. It is one of the worst things that can happen to someone. Some people think that rape is just physical but it also has psychological effects. Sometimes it takes victims awhile to get over it but some never do. It messes them up really bad. In this paper I’m going to talk about the physical and psychological effects of rape on women. On average 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the U.S. Over the course of the year, that equals more than 12 million women and men. More than 1 million women are raped in a year (NISVS, 2011). 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). There are plenty of physical effects on women. The physical effects are pregnancy, urin... ... middle of paper ... ... this kind of stuff always happens to you?”(Ullman, 2010, 2012) Society should never blame the victim. No one ever asks to be raped. If they do they aren’t quite right in the head. We live in a free country if you want to walk down the street naked you should be able to without having to worry about being raped. True enough you would be arrested for indecent exposure but that would be the extent of it. When a rape/ murder case goes on trial the victim is usually treated like they’re the one on trial and not the defendant. Unless the victim came up to you and said that they wanted to be raped which I highly doubt you shouldn’t do it. The victim’s past or current lifestyle shouldn’t matter. Most people tend to forget that. If they tell you no you should just leave it alone. No means no in no way does it mean yes. (Holmes, Resnick and Kilpatrick) (Campbell and Wasco)

Show More
Related

  • Forensic Nurses

    1454 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network state that every two minutes, someone is sexually assaulted in the United States. In 2007 there were 248,300 victims of sexual assault (US department of Justice).

    Read More

  • Theories Of Sexual Violence

    183 Words  | 1 Pages

    The perspective of committing sexual violence varies in today's society. Historical theories and laws has influenced the way it is viewed and dealt with. Sexual assault especially in women is recognized as a predominant issue in worldwide societies and has a significant impact on the victim. According to the The 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey "most female victims reported being assaulted by a current or former intimate partner (51.1 percent), acquaintance (40.8 percent), or family member (12.5 percent)" (www.womenslawproject.org/resources/Rape%20and%20Sexual%20Assault%20in%20the%20Legal%20System%20FINAL.pdf) Often Sex offenders use manipulative and physical methods to victimize. It can happen to anyone, however

    Read More

  • Rape Culture

    1619 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rape is non-consensual sexual intercourse that a male performs against a woman whom he is neither married to or cohabiting with. The definition of rape changes by geographic location. In some countries a woman must prove she is pure in order to find the perpetrator guilty. Rape used to be more of a violation to the man than to the women. It was a violation of the man’s rights if his wife or girlfriend was raped. When a woman is raped her devotion to her family is questioned. Rape is a violent act, an act of possession, not a sexual act. The myth that men who rape women are sexually pathological has begun to be dispelled and replaced with an understanding that rape is an act of anger, power and control rather than lust.

    Read More

  • Rape and Responsibility

    1485 Words  | 3 Pages

    When I hear the word "rape," I immediately visualize assault, violence, force, and pain. However, today, there are pills slipped into drinks, thus skipping all of the brutality and allowing the attacker to walk away unscathed. But above all of the pills and physical violence, there lies another story that is more commonly heard of today: rape through blame and excuses. What this means is that, more often than not, women wake up from a night of alcohol consumption, drug abuse, or from a situation where they were not strong enough to say "No," and they cry rape. It is because of this frivolous definition of "rape" that women who are actually attacked are finding it harder and harder to present a case for themselves. Now the question of rape has found a new urgency due to a dramatic increase in rape cases on college campuses. Administrators are using terms such as "verbal consent" and "dating codes." These are just two small sections concerning rules for dating due to the dramatic increase in the cases of sexual assault on campus. Claims of rape and sexual assault are on the rise, and most of these cases are false claims.

    Read More

  • Domestic Violence Informative Speech

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    Attention Getter: According to The National Coalition of Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women are victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. A woman is assaulted or beaten every 9 seconds in the US.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Date Rape

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is put out into the world wide web is for everyone to see and once it it out there it may be too late. In May 2015, a 15 year old girl was rapped by three 16 year old boys. The scene was videoed and went viral, eight days after the video released she hung herself. Be careful for what information is leaked, try to stay private on all social media pages. The victim is sometimes victimized again when rumors are spread about the attack or someone videos the attack and posts it to social media or shares it with others by other means. The victim is often bullied and intimidated, called names, belittled and degraded, possibly even attacked again (“Understanding...Rape”). Men plan the majority of their attacks well in advance. Usually these men have a history of forcing women to have sexual relations. A woman may also be unsuspecting, she may have spent significant time with a man, learn to trust him, and not feel she is in a vulnerable position. Whatever the case, if date rape occurs, it is never the victim’s fault (“Rape and Sexual Assault...”)Though victims may engage in behaviors that increase their vulnerability, they are not to blame if acquaintance rape occurs. Women are taught to smile and be nice towards people and there are cruel human being in this world. These differences in the socialization of men and women lead to misapprehensions regarding genders and set the stage for date

    Read More

  • Rape and Sexual Violence

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rape and sexual violence is a very serious problem that affects millions of people each year. Rape is someone taking advantage of another person sexually. Sexual assault can be verbal, physical, visual, or anything that forces a person to join in unwanted sexual contact or attention. ("Sexual Assault.") Rape is one of the most underreported crimes. In 2002, only thirty-nine percent of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law officials. ("Sexual Violence: Fact Sheet.") Victims sometimes do not report that they have raped because of shame or feeling that it was their fault. It is never the victim's fault. "Victim blaming" is holding the victim of a crime to be in a whole or in partly responsible for what had happened to them. Most victims believe this. ("Myths and Facts about Sexual Violence.")

    Read More

  • Sexual Assault Differences

    1493 Words  | 3 Pages

    One in six American women have been raped or have been a victim to attempted rape (Cleveland Rape Crisis Center). Various studies have been done to break up the numbers of sexual assault to support the victims in the way of the law. Rape is referred to by many as the unwanted sexual activities that was forced upon an unconsented victim is now redefined, as a part of the reform laws, as sexual assault. This broad umbrella of a term, sexual assault, now covers any aggressive act ranging from nonviolent to violent acts, such as obscene phone calls to marital rape to stranger rape (Postmus, 2008). This change has seemed to create a very blurred line of difference between assault and

    Read More

  • Invisible Scar

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    First it is best to define the most violent kind of sexual abuse, which is rape. Rape is the forceful or non-forceful attempt or action of a sexual act done to a person, without their consent. Rape is a non-consensual penile penetration of the vagina, anus, or mouth. Rape can also be described as sexual intercourse with a person, without their permission. Rape is accomplished by use of force by the assailant. Force can consist of many different things. It may refer to the use of verbal coercion, in order to coax the victim into sexual acts. It could also refer to actual physical restraint, in which the victim is restrained and unable to resist. Other examples of force are intimidation by verbal and physical threats, and in some cases, actual physical violence. These acts of force make it very difficult to a victim to resist sexual abuse such as rape.

    Read More

  • Acquaintance Rape On College Campuses

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rape is on the top level in the college girls and women which are the most common crime on college campuses in America today. In the Rape in the United States, 60% of the victim girls and women who reported being raped were under 18 years old by someone they knew. Rape is defined as forces which include vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse, where the survey found that out of 1 in 6 girls and women had experienced acquaintance rape who were underage. Acquaintance rape is a sex crime done by someone who knew the victim (friends, classmate, co-workers, family member, spouse, medical doctor or religious official). Acquaintance rape is also called date rape. More than 70% of rape victims knew their attackers, but 90% of the rape victims didn’t report

    Read More

  • Rape: A Living Nightmare

    3121 Words  | 7 Pages

    Is anyone truly a stranger to nightmares? Has anyone not woken up in a feverish sweat with a racing pulse or pounding heart? Whose eyes have never wildly searched their room for the phantoms of a dream? Now, what if the familiar consolation of learning it was all in your head never came? How do you wake up from a nightmare that is, in fact, a reality? I think I’m getting ahead of myself. What I mean to say is, I was raped, and rape is a nightmare.

    Read More

  • Abortions Should Be Allowed For Rape Victims

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    To be raped is to be sexually assaulted forcefully and unwillingly. According to the Uniform Crime reports, of all serious offenses, rape is probably “the most under reported crime.” Victims of rape are not only violated physically, they are violated mentally as well. It is a very traumatic experience that woman have to deal with for the remainder of their life. They usually incur symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome, stress disorders, fear, constant memories of the attack, a loss of confidence, and shame. (Mary E. Williams) These effects alter the victim’s life severely and can interfere with their day to day life and relationships. Being raped is a horrific crime that no woman should ever have to endure. In many cases victims of rape may become impregnated by the perpetrator leaving the victim to another form of violation. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, at least 9,100 abortions each year are attributed to pregnancies that occur because of forced sexual intercourse. (Irin Carmon)

    Read More

  • Rape Culture and Victim Blaming

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    To find rape culture in today’s society all you need to do is look to the radio. Musicians such as Robin Thicke and his song “Blurred Lines” show how pop culture is laced with bad messages for today’s media consumers. The definition of rape is forced sexual intercourse, meaning unconsented vaginal, oral or anal penetration (“Who Are the Victims?”). Unlike other well-defined crimes, rape comes up in today’s culture as something that has many grey areas between rape and sex. These ‘blurred lines’ lead to a prevalence of rape culture and victim blaming. Victim blaming and turning a blind eye to victims of rape and sexual assault cases is not only supporting rape culture but is also dangerous for the mental state of the victim.

    Read More

  • Victims Of Rape In America

    340 Words  | 1 Pages

    er american gets assaulted. 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of rape in her life. About 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. Child Protective Services agencies substantiated that 63,000 children a year were victims of sexual abuse. A majority of child victims are 12-17. 34% of victims of sexual assault and rape are under age 12, and 66% of victims of sexual assault and rape are age 12-17. 9 of every 10 Americans raped are a women. More statistics show that 8% of people raped were sleeping or performing another activity at home, 29% were traveling to and from work or school or traveling to shop or run errands, 12% were working, 7% were attending school, 5% were doing an unknown or

    Read More

  • Effects Of Rape On Women

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    Webster’s Dictionary describes rape as the crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse. Rape is a crime in which most women cannot defend themselves. The fear of rape plagues every woman at some point or another in her life. The traumatic effects of rape vary from mild to severe, from psychological to physical. This paper will evaluate rape, as well as the effects it has on women, the theory behind male dominance and patriarchy, and differences in demographics.

    Read More

More about The Physical and Psychological Effects of Rape on Women

Open Document