Essay about Psychological Effects of Sexual Assault

Many individuals have flashbacks after experiencing trauma. Survivors of such horrible traumas sometimes can act out in violence, after something triggers them to remember the ordeal. The novel The Suspect by L.R. Wright, offers a realistic account of what goes on in the mind of an individual who has committed murder. Throughout the novel, I made connections to many real life examples of how trauma has affected the lives of criminals and their victims, through either alcohol or mental illness. Individuals affected by this sort of trauma can seek medical or social help in order to be able to learn how to cope with daily living.

Being sexually assaulted as a child and teenager can ruin your life. As a child, you, really don’t

To begin with, sexual assault is a term that people don’t necessarily know entirely what it means because it varies from state to state. “Sexual assault is a crime of

The process Ferraro and Johnson outline is important because it illustrates the most prolific sub group who experience this process which are women. 1.) After a violent act occurs, victims try to grasp the situation and soon downplay the act as a one-time event. 2.) Cognitive devices inhibit a victim’s ability to recognize rage and instead rationalize the offender’s positive traits and aspects. Only until the victim has been exposed to repeated incidents of violent do they then start to cognitively understand their situation. 3.) The empowering of the victim, in which a victim comes to term for being victimized and begins the process of rebuilding self-confidence (Ferraro, K. J., & Johnson, J. M. 1983). This process focuses on women, but is however a common outline of how many victims rationalize crimes against them. A variety of factors can also include, low victim confidence in justice system, mental abuse, mental health, culture conformity, intimidation all as factors that can effect victimization

Sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and severe injury are all results of rape. Sexual assault is a criminal act in which a predator forcibly has intercourse with a person.

In turning the unabashed eyes of scientists to the treatment of PTSD, Foa and Rothbaum present a description of the disorder based on the research literature. From there they develop a rationale for treatment and go on to present a detailed manual for conducting effective treatment programs for patients.

This psychological phenomenon used to describe the positive bond of an abused victim towards her abuser wherein a kind of love, respect, and empathy is developed (Carver, 2007). A syndrome of “traumatic bonding” or “victim brainwashing” (Graham, 1994). However according to Carver (2007), it is actually a strategy for survival for victims Have symptoms similar to people who suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) such as nightmares, difficulty concentrating, confusion, increased distrust, and flashbacks. Stockholm syndrome does not always develop since it depends on specific preconditions. (Alexander,

In recent years, due to the church sex abuse scandal, childhood sexual abuse has become one of the most highly publicized crimes in the United States. Unfortunately, despite this newfound interest in the scandalous topic of abuse, incest and more common sexual abuse cases involving family continue to be overlooked by society and the media. Understandably, intra-familial sexual abuse is a delicate and complex subject to acknowledge and dissect. Yet, by ignoring the subject entirely, we are doing a great disservice to the victims that have to actually endure these atrocious crimes and stay silent in fear. Furthermore, in choosing to not acknowledge that children are more likely be abused by a family member than by a stranger,

According to this view, it affects the physical, mental, and spiritual trust of a person against their will. (Hargitay, 2004). Following the traumatic experience of rape, a victim’s personal relationship can be affected whether it’s her spouse, children, or friends. In addition to its effect on victims, sexual assault creates an atmosphere of fear for women suffering through depression due to rape (Murphy, ). Depression can affect a person’s outlook which can lead to feelings of hopelessness. A study conducted by Wendy Murphy, a lawyer and founder of the Victim Advocacy, stated that men do not suffer as much as mental health illness like women. Sometimes, there may be no physical injury or harm to the survivor, but may lead to possibilities

victim tries, they are punished for trying to escape. (Sabella, 34) The following are common clinical implications you may see, and although these characteristics may indicate multiple other problems, (e.g., domestic violence) they indicate a need for further

While rape culture is a broad term, what constitutes a rape is often not defined. There is much gray area in rape according to most people, but that is not really the case. Rape is defined as, “forced sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal, or oral penetration. Penetration may be a body part or an object” (Tracy). Obviously, unwanted and nonconsensual sex in any way, shape, or form by any party constitutes rape. However, rape is specifically sexual intercourse, sexual assault is a different and more broad topic. Sexual assault includes any type of sexual activity (groping, sexual touching, or fondling) that is unwanted by either party involved. Rape itself does fall into the category of sexual assault; however, it is a more specific kind

When colleges and universities are constantly in competition with each other for students, there are certain issues that occur. Competition has turned into universities and colleges often mishandling sexual assault and rape cases. Campuses want to minimize the danger that they may pose which leads to sexual assault and rape crimes to often be veiled. With this veil in place, it counters the efforts of colleges and universities to address the issue of sexual assault and rape. In July 2016, a survey was released to 350 colleges and university presidents. The purpose of this survey was to showcase whether sexual assault and rape cases were handled correctly or mishandled. Over the last five years, “more than 40 percent of the schools had not conducted

Imagine you are a female student, about to start college for the first time. You are excited because you finally get to leave home and live somewhere other than with your parents. You get to live with friends in dorm rooms – dorm rooms that might be co-ed. Not only do you have to handle the struggle between classwork such as homework and studying, but now, you also have the possibility of needing to maintain a job and facing the temptation of college parties. However, if you are at a party, study group, or just with your friends, there is a chance that as a female student, and sometimes even as a male student, that you could become a statistic. The statistic you become is another number added to the college’s list of sexual assault and harassment incidents. Now the question is if you report the incident that happened to you, who would you report it to? A student has two options of reporting: to report the incident to the police and go through the judicial system or to go through the school’s trial system.

Victims who suffer from acute phases of the rape-trauma syndrome may have psychological episodes right after the traumatic event where they have vivid dreams or flash backs of the event. The victim may relive the experience, and they may also display avoidance patterns by avoiding the places or events that were similar to the events that occurred. Episodes of flash backs or reliving the experience may be triggered by sounds, smells or places, and these events will last at least three days and may continue for a month or more.

Victims of intimate partner violence and rape exhibit a variety of psychological symptoms that are equivalent to other forms of trauma (ex. war and natural disasters). Experiencing trauma related to violence, victims experience shock, denial, disbelief, fear, confusion, and withdrawal (Frieze 2000). A number of victims are prone to becoming dependent and have a difficult time decision making. Although a single maltreatment may lead to perpetual emotional scarring, ongoing/ repetitive violence is likely to experience negative psychological changes (Frieze 2000).