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The Many Facets of Sexual Assault Essay

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A model of sexual violence risk proposed by Abbey, McAuslan, and Ross (1998) posits a central role for sexual misperception (i.e., perception of sexual interest or sexual attraction in a potential partner when that partner has not intended to communicate interest). Normatively it has been well documented that male college students perceive more female sexual interest than was intended to be conveyed. Whether viewing still images, video, or live interactions, men tend to perceive women as displaying more sexual interest than women view the female actor displaying and more sexual interest than the female actor intended to display (Abbey, 1982; Abbey & Harnish, 1995; Edmonson & Conger, 1995; Saal, Johnson, & Weber, 1989; Shotland & Craig, …show more content…

A man who implements an exercise program receives the cardiac benefit (Choo et al., 2010); a woman who regularly uses barrier methods during sexual intercourse is rewarded with a reduced probability of HIV infection (Davis & Weller, 1999). In some cases, there may be secondary actors who also benefit (e.g., children are exposed to less second-hand smoke when a parent stops using cigarettes), but the person making the change nonetheless also receives direct “compensation”. Sexual violence prevention, on the other hand, is unique in that it targets behavioral change in one individual (men at risk for violence) in order to benefit a different group of people (potential victims).

Approximately 20% of American women have been sexually assaulted (Koss, 1993). Of these women, one quarter require medical attention for their injuries (Horton, 1992), which most often include vaginal tearing and bruising, head injuries and other trauma to the mouth, throat, breasts and thighs (Banks, Ackerman, & Corbett, 1995; Marchbanks, Lui, and Mercy, 1990). Long-term consequences include pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, dyspareunia, increased incidence of psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and a three-fold increase in suicide attempts (Fanslow & Robinson, 2004). Immediate medical costs are estimated at $516 per victim; however, health care utilization increases by 56% annually, and this increase persists for at least three years

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