The Effects Of Sexual Violence On Children

It takes the biggest toll on the victim. The most difficult part of the whole situation is understand how one would feel after being assaulted and how to provide the support and resources necessary to make them as comfortable as possible. In the book Milk and Honey written by Rupi Kaur, she wrote “sex takes the consent of two. If one person is lying there not doing anything cause they’re not ready… yet the other is having sex with their body it’s not love, it’s rape” (23). Victims of rape are left extremely damaged and fragile. In The Rights of the Victim written by Margaret O. Hyde, she wrote that “ Rape is one of the most traumatic and shocking of human experiences… victims of rape are conscious of being neglected by the criminal justice system that is supposed to protect them and their rights” (40). Being sexually assaulted makes a strong impact in the victim’s life. The physical effects can be wounds such as bruises and bleeding anywhere on the body especially the vaginal area. Forced types of rape can also lead to painful and uncomfortable intercourse, sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancies. Not only do victims face physical harm but also endure long-term psychological effects. Some common emotional effects of rape include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep and eating disorders, anger, guilt, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. One of the most common consequences of rape is self-blame which is used as a coping device. It is extremely difficult to understand how a victim in this situation would

     There are two sides to a rape, the rapist and the victim. The victim is most of the time a woman but men are raped as well. It is a common myth that there is a type of woman that is more likely to be raped. This is indeed a myth, most of the time rape is a crime of opportunity, the victim is not chosen because of her looks or behavior, but because she is there (Benedict 2). The average rape victim is 18-39 years old and female, the average rapist is 25 years old and male. The effect of rape on a woman is an enormous one. The woman will come away from a rape with both physical and psychological damage. Eventually the physical wounds will heal, the psychological wounds will take quite some time before or if they ever heal (Grady 4). A sexual assault robs the woman of a sense of control; a feeling of loss of freedom is common among rape victims. To put her life in order she must regain this sense of control. Almost all rape victims suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (Benedict 2). The first symptom is the reliving or re-experiencing of the

After being sexually assaulted people will handle it all different ways. It can change their mental health or even the way they carry themselves physically. “Having a history of sexual assault is related to perceiving ones health as poor or fair, rather than good or excellent (see Golding, Cooper, & George, 1997). In one study involving seven general population surveys (i.e., surveys in which people were randomly selected to represent those living in a particular region or in the entire country), the odds of

Over 92% of sexual assault survivors disclose the assault to at least one person, and the types of responses they receive vary. The negative social reactions can cause maladaptive coping strategies for the survivor, and result in PSTD symptoms. A common negative response to an assault disclosure include blaming the victim, treating the victim as if they are broken or they have changed, as well as attempting to control the victim’s situation or even completely disregarding the victim’s emotions and focusing on their own feelings. Often times, when a person is assaulted it is by someone they know (unlike the common stereotype where a person jumps out of the bushes and attacks the weak victim), and the victim feels as if they cannot trust people again, making negative responses to disclosure almost like a stab in the back because the survivor has ran out of people to trust. When a person gives negative feedback to an assault disclosure, it prolongs the victims recovery time. A victim can feel as if they are not in control of their recovery and makes them question their actions and feelings. Also, in addition to the “loss of control”, they could disengage from seeking support and aid from others, falling into maladaptive coping strategies to avoid the feelings of anger, sadness, and anxiety. Often times, survivors can seek out alcohol or drugs to aid them in their recovery process, although they do not know they are causing more harm to themselves. However, negative reactions may not necessarily impair individual forms of adaptive coping, especially for survivors who do not rely on others for support during recovery. Some survivors can use the negative responses to encourage themselves to not rely on others for support and focus on individual strategies for coping (i.e. meditation, cognitive

Two of the consequences of sexual abuse that interest me the most is posttraumatic stress disorder and repressed memory. PTSD is known as an anxiety disorder that occurs in response to experiencing extreme stress (McCoy & Keen, 2014). The rates of PTSD vary among the type of sexual abuse that has occurred (McCoy & Keen, 2014). Victims of sexual abuse usually have to deal with PTSD. They have flashbacks of the terrible indicants, could happen randomly or be triggered by anything. Since the triggers could happen any time, it could prevent the person from prevent the person from being able to move on, which could stop them from living a successful and happy life. Another consequence of sexual abuse is repressed memory. Repressed memory is when the brain forces unacceptable thoughts, desires or memories into the unconscious (McCoy & Keen, 2014). This is done so the brain can protect itself. It takes a lot of energy for the brain to hide these memories and they can reappear caused by a trigger (McCoy & Keen, 2014). It makes

Sexual violence can cause a survivor to have psychological, emotional, and physical effects. These effects aren't easy to cope with or

They gave an account of a young woman who went to a college orientation and was raped. After reporting the crime, she received a lot of doubt and disbelief from the university’s faculty and staff. Due to the trauma of the event and the lack of help received, she eventually committed suicide. Oftentimes, victims of traumatic crimes experience psychological effects such as depression, reductions in self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. Compulsive behavior, isolation, and self-harm are also common aftereffects to victimization.

Existing controlled examinations of intervention efficacy specific to only sexual assault and rape are presently minimal in comparison to intervention examinations of combination or other types of trauma (Regehr, Alaggia, Dennis, Pitts, & Saini, 2013). Psychotherapeutic interventions that fail to differentiate sexual assault and rape victims from other types of trauma victims may decrease the treatment effectiveness or inadvertently harm participants in this subgroup. Trauma associated from rape or sexual assault differs from other forms of trauma and treatment efficacy should be examined in this manner. Trauma from rape or sexual assault entail symptoms of PTSD, depression, suicidal ideations and sexual dysfunction. Individuals may also indicate feelings of vulnerability, loss of control, fear, shame, self-blame, societal blame and stigma (Russell & Davis, 2007; Regehr et al., 2013; Ullman &Peter-Hagene, 2014). This research proposal intends to explore the long term effectiveness of Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) at reducing distress and trauma explicitly for adult victims of sexual assault and rape.

Sexual assault has no constraints as to age or gender, race, or incapacitation. The sexual action involved in an assailment can be unwanted physically contacting, prehending, and sexual intercourse. Women are more liable to be involved with sexual assault. “Examples of how woman are coerced into boffing includes being capitalized on by someone who has an form of ascendancy over them, manipulated into sexual activity against their will, and unable to give consent because one is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.” A sizably voluminous-scale study conducted on several college campuses found that one of every five women reported that they had been ravished in their lifetime. “The National Malefaction Victimization Survey estimated that one moiety of a million (or 500,000) sexual assaults occurred in the U.S. in one year, from 1992 to 1993. Of those assaults, about three of ten were consummated ravishes and an adscititious three of ten were endeavored ravishes.” After being sexually assaulted woman they may not accept what has transpired to them, this reaction is more mundane among women who are assaulted by someone they ken. Effects that women have after being sexually assaulted includes: Major Depressive Disorder, Exasperation, Shame/culpability, Convivial quandaries, Sexual quandaries, and Alcohol/drug use. Virtually all (94 out of 100)

Victims can exhibit all sorts of mental and emotional reactions to the unwanted violation of assault. Mentally, the most common effects are PTSD, depression, and dissociation, all of which are not remediable overnight and ordinarily require outside help (Effects of Sexual Assault and Rape, 2017). Outside help includes speaking with a psychiatrist. However, the healing process is lengthened unnecessarily because it takes at least a year for 75% of child victims to tell someone what happened (The Assessment Center, 2016). For all ages, this waiting time before attempting to receive help serves the prevention of the healing process, thus prolonging the span of time spent in pain.

Many children that are sexually assaulted have many deficit after the assault. Corwin & Keeshin (2011) states in sexual abuse, genital injuries may result in acute pain and increase the risk of long-lasting effects such as sexual dysfunction, urinary problems, sexually transmitted infections such as human immunodeficiency virus and reproductive problems. (p.2). Sexual abuse is not only physical but it is psychological as well as is it emotional. Especially with being sexually abuse, the child would be in so much pain, and at the same time try to figure out what just happening to them. Not just that there is a chance that they might get diseases like sexually transmitted diseases, but they may experience dysfunction in their body like urinary problem because their bodies has not fully developed. The other side effect according to Corwin & Keeshin (2011) some child victims of sexual abuse display few initial effects, the majority show some signs of posttraumatic stress, and more than one-third meet diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Another effect that this may have according to Corwin & Keeshin (2011) is

Sexual abuse leaves many scars, creating feelings of guilt, anger, and fear that haunt survivors throughout their lives. These traumatic experiences can be detrimental to the victims’ sense of their own sexuality. Numerous individuals who have been abused have trouble pursuing adult relationships and engaging in sex as an adult. The abuse can color a person 's sexuality, preventing the survivor from pursuing a healthy sex life with a caring partner.  Sexual abuse is defined as unwanted sexual activity, with perpetrators using force, making threats or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent (Corcoran & Walsh, 2006). An immediate reaction to individuals who have been sexually abused include shock, fear or disbelief. Long-term symptoms include anxiety, fear or post-traumatic stress disorder (Corcoran & Walsh, 2006).

Existing controlled examinations of intervention efficacy specific to only sexual assault and rape are presently minimal in comparison to intervention examinations of combination or other types of trauma (Regehr, Alaggia, Dennis, Pitts, & Saini, 2013). Psychotherapeutic interventions that fail to differentiate sexual assault and rape victims from other types of trauma victims may decrease the treatment effectiveness or inadvertently harm participants in this subgroup. Trauma associated from rape or sexual assault differ from other forms of trauma; treatment efficacy should be examined once this matter has been taken into consideration. Specifically, trauma associated from rape or sexual assault entail symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidal ideations and sexual dysfunction. Individuals may also indicate feelings of vulnerability, loss of control, fear, shame, self-blame, societal blame and stigma (Russell & Davis, 2007; Regehr et al., 2013; Ullman & Peter-Hagene, 2014). This research proposal intends to explore the long term effectiveness of Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) at reducing distress and trauma explicitly for adult victims of sexual assault and rape.

Studies have found that sexual violence and related trauma can disrupt a survivor’s employment, including needing time off from work, decreased job performance, job loss, and inability to work. Reducing earning power has long-term implications for a survivor’s economic well-being. This disruption could lead to economic insecurity in the face of added costs related to healthcare and other expenses as a result of the assault.

A study conducted by Ullman, S., Townsend, S., Filipas, H., & Starzynski, L. (2007) evaluated the origin of posttraumatic stress disorder. The purpose of the study is to analyze how sexual assaults can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. The study was composed of 1,084 women, who responded to mail surveys about unwanted sexual experiences. The first time the researchers sent out the surveys only 90 percent of women responded. The sample in this study decreased to 636 women after many surveys were thrown out due to missing data and not everyone responded. The researchers focused on women ages of 18 to 71 that had unwanted sexual experiences. Out of the 636 women, only 5% of them were never sexually assaulted (Ullman, 2007). These researchers