Every Month is Sexual Violence Awareness Month: After-Effects for Survivors

Experiencing a sexual assault can affect survivors in many different ways. You may find yourself feeling or behaving very differently than usual. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to react, and there is no universal way to respond to trauma such as sexual violence. Only you know how you feel and you have a right to express those feelings in whatever way you need to.  

Many survivors experience:

• nightmares
• fear
• flashbacks
• difficulty concentrating
• anger
• anxiety
• guilt
• self-blame
• confusion
• shock or numbness
• difficulty sleeping
• avoidance of sex or promiscuity
• loss of control
• vulnerability and mistrust

If you have experienced some or all of these feelings following a sexual assault, remember that you are having a normal reaction to a very abnormal and traumatic experience. On the other hand, these reactions may not fit your experience at all, and that's okay too.  It's greatly recommended that you meet with a counselor or therapist to work through the emotional and psychological after-effects of a sexual assault, so that you may begin to feel safe again.

Graphic Image

Below are more of the after-effects that some survivors experience; click on the link for more information.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Survivors of sexual assault may experience severe feelings of anxiety, stress or fear, known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as a direct result of the assault.

Substance Abuse

Victims of rape or sexual assault may turn to alcohol or other substances in an attempt to relieve their emotional suffering.

Self-Harm / Self-Injury

Deliberate self-harm, or self-injury, is when a person inflicts physical harm on himself or herself.

Stockholm Syndrome

Described as a victim’s emotional “bonding” with their abuser, Stockholm Syndrome develops subconsciously and on an involuntary basis.

Depression

There are many emotional and psychological reactions that victims of rape and sexual assault can experience. One of the most common of these is depression.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Table of Sexually Transmitted Infections, their symptoms, treatment, and possible complications.

Pregnancy

If you were recently raped, you may have concerns about becoming pregnant from the attack. If the rape happened a long time ago, you may have concerns about a pregnancy that resulted from the attack.

Eating Disorders

Victims and survivors with eating disorders often use food and the control of food as an attempt to deal with or compensate for negative feelings and emotions and to regain control over one's life.

Body Memories

Body memories are when the stress of the memories of the abuse experienced by an individual take the form of physical problems that cannot be explained by the usual means.

Suicide

If you are currently thinking about suicide, or know someone who is, please reach out for help.

Military Sexual Trauma

Military sexual trauma (MST) is a technical term that refers to the psychological trauma experienced by military service members, as a result of sexual assault or sexual harassment, as classified by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse experience an array of overwhelming and intense feelings. These may include feelings of fear, guilt, and shame.

Photo Credit

(c) Copyright 2014 Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Sources:
RAINN.org
Moving to End Sexual Assault
(c) Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Every Month is Sexual Violence Awareness Month: Getting Medical Attention

Immediately after a sexual assault has been committed, the most important thing is for the victim to get to a safe place. Whether it be the victim’s home, a friend’s home or with a family member, immediate safety is what matters most.

When a feeling of safety has been achieved, it's vital for the victim to receive medical attention, regardless of his/her decision to report the crime to the police. For the victim’s health and self-protection, it's important to be checked and treated for possible injuries, even if none are visible.

This includes testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as receiving preventative treatments that may be available, depending upon the local response and resources. For instance, medications to prevent STIs and pregnancy and protect against HIV transmission may be offered.

In addition to receiving medical attention, victims are encouraged to receive a forensic examination. This exam is important because preserving DNA evidence can be key to identifying the perpetrator in a sexual assault case, especially those in which the offender is a stranger. DNA evidence is an integral part of a law enforcement investigation that can build a strong case to show that a sexual assault occurred and to show that the defendant is the source of biological material left on the victim’s body. Victims have the right to accept or decline any or all parts of the exam; however, it's important to remember that critical evidence may be missed if not collected or analyzed.

Victims should make every effort to save anything that might contain the perpetrator’s DNA; therefore a victim should not:

• Bathe or shower
• Use the restroom
• Change clothes
• Comb hair
• Clean up the crime scene
• Move anything the offender may have touched

Even if the victim has not yet decided to report the crime, receiving a forensic medical exam and keeping the evidence safe from damage will improve the chances that the police can access and test the stored evidence at a later date.

Learn more about the importance of preserving and collecting forensic evidence and the importance of DNA in a sexual assault case.

In Schenectady, victims should call the 24-Hour Rape Crisis Hotline at 518-346-2266, where a highly trained and compassionate advocate will explain the process and could accompany the victim through the evidence collection process.  [Outside of Schenectady, NY, to find a local hospital or healthcare facility that is equipped to collect forensic evidence, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE)]. 


The following is a very brief description of what to expect during a forensic medical exam or "rape kit". Remember to ask questions as you go along if you don't understand something and remember you can refuse any part of the exam if you choose.

• You should try not to use the bathroom, eat, or drink before the exam because this may interfere with some aspects of evidence collection.
• You must give written consent to have the exam performed.
• You'll be asked to give a general medical history (i.e. current medications, past illnesses etc...)
• You'll be asked to give a "sexual assault/abuse history" which is a detailed description of the assault.
• If you're wearing clothing you wore during the assault you may be asked to give it to the nurse as evidence.
• The nurse will take various "samples" from you (such as fingernail scrapings, hair standards, oral swabs etc...) this is for evidence collection and to establish a difference between your DNA and any other that is found.
• If you think you were given a "drug" used to facilitate a rape or sexual assault the nurse will collect a urine sample. Depending on the time lapsed since the assault, the nurse may also advise the collection of blood.
• The nurse will offer you emergency contraception and medications that may help to prevent contraction of sexually transmitted diseases.
• The final stage of the exam is a vaginal/penile exam in which the nurse will check for injuries and evidence.

(c) Copyright 2014 Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

For more information on what to do if you or someone else is sexually assaulted in New York State, click HERE.

Sources:  RAINN.org,  Moving to End Sexual Assault,
New York State Dept. of Health Sexual Violence Services
(c) Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Every Month is Sexual Violence Awareness Month: What to Do If You're Sexually Assaulted

Get to a safe place.

If you cannot get somewhere safe, call 911 immediately.

Don't shower, eat, drink, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, or change your clothes before going to the hospital.

These activities may eliminate valuable evidence that could assist in prosecution if you choose to file a police report. However, if you have already done these things, please don't let this stop you from seeking medical care. If you have already changed your clothes, place the clothes in a clean paper bag and bring them with you.

Seek immediate medical attention.

Go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Decide whether you want to make a police report.

Choosing to report the assault to the police is an individual decision, so don't let anyone pressure you either way or another. You do not need to report to police in order to receive medical care.

Get information whenever you have questions or concerns.

After a sexual assault, you have a lot of choices and decisions to make; e.g., medical care and follow-up needs, participating in law enforcement investigation, telling other people, and returning to work. Ask questions if you are confused or not sure about your options.

Seek support for yourself.

You have been through a traumatic experience and may need help dealing with the impact of the assault. Even if it happened a long time ago, it is never too late to talk to someone about it. You do not have to go through this alone. 

In Schenectady, call the 24-Hour Rape Crisis Hotline 518.346.2266
or
National Sexual Assault Hotline
1.800.656.HOPE(4673)

Free. Confidential. 24/7.

(c) Copyright 2014 Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Source:  Moving to End Sexual Assault
(c) Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Every Month is Sexual Violence Awareness Month: Reducing the Risk

Risk Factors

Drugs and Alcohol: Drugs and alcohol are the number one factor that leads to non-stranger (date/acquaintance) rape. Many victims say that their ability to react was impaired because they were drinking or taking drugs, or that their date had been drinking and became sexually aggressive.

Lawrence Greenfield did a study that found that drinking offenders committed over a third of the rapes or sexual assaults of persons older than 12.
 
Different Expectations: Acquaintance rape often occurs as a result of misunderstood sex role behaviors and/or communication styles. Don't assume that one form of sexual contact opens the door to other sexual contacts. Also, communicate your sexual expectations with your partner. If you think you are getting mixed messages, ask.

Believing No Means Yes: People who regard sex as "scoring" often believe "no" can be changed to "yes" with a little more pressure or force.

Acquaintance rape often masquerades as seduction, with the perpetrators rarely feeling they have done anything wrong. They believe that pressure is a legitimate way to get what they want.

Risk Reduction

Although sexual violence can never be prevented, here are some suggestions to help you reduce your risk of being assaulted.

• Trust your gut. If you don't feel comfortable in a situation, leave.
• Be in charge of your own life. Don't put yourself in a situation where you have to rely on other people to take care of you. Also, when on a date, don't feel you "owe" that person anything.
• Be cautious inviting someone into your home or going to someone else's home. Three out of 5 sexual assaults occur in the victim's home or the home of an acquaintance.
• Do not mix sexual decisions with drugs and alcohol. Your ability to make smart decisions is hampered when you are drunk or high.
• When going out with someone new, don't feel you have to go alone. Go on a group date or meet in a public place.
• Be aware of date rape drugs. Don't accept beverages from open containers and don't leave your drink unattended.
• Avoid falling for lines such as "If you loved me." If your partner loved you, he/she would respect your feelings and wait until you are ready.
• Avoid individuals who:
  • don't listen to you
  • ignore personal space boundaries
  • make you feel guilty or accuse you of being "uptight" for resisting sexual advances
  • express sexists attitudes and jokes
  • act jealous or possessive
• Communicate. Think about what you really want before you get into a sexual situation, and communicate clearly with your partner. If you think you are getting mixed messages, ask your date what he/she wants.
• Be assertive. Respect yourself enough not to do anything you don't want to do. Your opinions matter, and when you say "no," your date should stop.

When "No" Doesn't Work

Sometimes, saying "no" will not stop a sexual assault. Listed below are several ways you can react in a sexually violent situation. Thinking about what you would do before an assault ever happens can be your best self-defense strategy.

• Act immediately: Trust your intuition and get away if possible. Don't give in to a person's sexual demands in the hope that you can divert him/her later on.
• Stay calm. Try to think clearly about all your options. Your brain is your best weapon.
• Passive resistance. You may be able to discourage the attacker by talking. Persuade him/her not to commit the assault by making him/her see you as a friend.
• Active resistance. If you are not afraid to hurt someone, hit and kick hard-this gives you the opportunity to escape. However, fighting back may anger the attacker and cause him/her to attack more brutally. Self-defense training can make you more confident and improve your physical strength. Training is effective, but it takes continuous practice. It is not a substitute for common sense and awareness.
• Submitting. Do whatever you have to do to keep yourself safe. If you feel your life is in danger, your best option may be to submit. Submitting does not mean you consented. The assault is not your fault

(c) Copyright 2014 Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

For more sexual violence prevention program resources in New York State, click HERE.
 

Sources: New York State Dept. of Health Sexual Violence Services,  Moving to End Sexual Assault
 
(c) Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Every Month is Sexual Violence Awareness Month: What is Consent?

Consent is a choice in which an individual agrees by free will to engage in sexual acts. 

Because a person is in a current relationship or had previously been in a relationship does not mean that person automatically consents to sexual activity. 

Consent and submission are not the same. Because someone may submit to a sex act does NOT mean that consent was given. 

If someone was sexually assaulted and did not fight during the assault, that does not mean the person gave consent.

Consent cannot be given if:

• An individual is asleep
• An individual is intoxicated or drugged (on legal or illegal substances)
• An individual is unconscious
• An individual is not of the age of consent
• An individual is unable to communicate
• A person is threatened either verbally, in writing, or physically
• A person is physically forced to engage in an act
• A person is intimidated in to engaging in an act
• A person is cognitively impaired

(c) Copyright 2014 Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Source:  Moving to End Sexual Assault
(c) Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Every Month is Sexual Violence Awareness Month: Definitions

April is typically the month designated to heighten awareness to and prevention and treatment of sexual assault and sexual violence crimes, but awareness of this horrendous behavior needs to be on-going.  

To start, the following are definitions of the terms typically used when discussing sexual violence:

Assailant/Perpetrator/Offender/Abuser is someone who attacks another. This is someone who does something, as in a perpetrator of violence or abuse. These terms can be used more or less interchangeably.

Battering is a sociological term coined by the battered women's movement to describe a pattern of physical violence, intimidation, coercion, manipulation and other forms of abuse committed by a person (the batterer) to establish or maintain control of his or her partner.

Child Abuse/Incest/Molestation is the physical, sexual, and/or emotional harming or neglect of a child. Molestation is the sexual abuse of a child; incest is sexual abuse which is perpetrated by a blood relative or other family member, such as a step-parent.

Consent is a continual process by which partners each explicitly and mutually agree and give permission to sexual contact without force, coercion or threat of coercion.

Dating Violence is the verbal, physical, and/or sexual abuse of one partner by the other, in an intimate relationship. Relationship violence implies that the "couple" is not married, does not have a child in common and is not living together. This type of abuse may involve pushing, shoving, hitting, choking, intimidation, threats, humiliation, insults, pressure, destruction of property, isolation, sexual relations without consent, unwanted sexual touching, or pressure to engage in humiliating or degrading sexual activity.

Domestic Violence refers to any criminal offense involving the use or threatened use of physical force, in which the offender and the victim have a familial or household relationship. Domestic violence is a pattern of physically, sexually, and/or emotionally abusive behaviors used by one individual to assert power or maintain control over another in the context of an intimate or family relationship or have a child in common.

Forced Object Penetration is penetration of a sexual orifice (anus or vagina) by a finger (digitally) and/or a non-animate object.

Forced Sodomy is anal or oral intercourse without consent.

Gang Rape is when two or more offenders act together to rape the same victim. The offenders include those who actually obtain sexual relations with the victim as well as those who threaten or use force to make the victim submit but do not themselves have sexual relations.

Indecent Exposure (sometimes referred to as "flashing") refers to an individual exposing sexual body parts to another when it is unwanted and unasked for.

Rape: laws and legal definitions of rape vary from state to state, but rape is generally defined as forced or non-consensual sexual intercourse. Rape may be accompanied by fear, threats of harm, and/or actual physical force. Rape may also include situations in which penetration is accomplished when the victim is unable to give consent, or is prevented from resisting, due to being intoxicated, drugged, unconscious, or asleep.

Voyeurism (sometimes referred to as "Peeping Tom Syndrome") refers to a disorder that involves achieving sexual arousal by observing an unsuspecting and non-consenting person who is undressing or unclothed, and/or engaged in sexual activity.

 
 

 

(c) Copyright 2014 Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Source:  Moving to End Sexual Assault
(c) Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

April is Sexual Violence Awareness Month: Myth vs. Fact

 
A whole manual could be written about rape myths and their functions in our society. These myths affect both perpetrators and victims, since we all believe them to one extent or another.

To end the violence of sexual assault, we must all understand what we believe to be true about rape. Below are some of the more popular myths we hold, not only as individuals, but also as a society.

 

Graphic Source

Myth: Most sexual assault victims were “asking for it,” (i.e., the assault was provoked by the victim in some way).
Fact: To say that someone wants to be raped is the same as saying that people ask to be mugged or robbed. In fact, 60-70% of rapes are at least partially planned in advance, and the victim is often threatened with death or bodily harm if she resists. The responsibility for raping always lies with the perpetrator, not the victim.

Myth: Most women are raped by strangers.
Fact: According to Rape in America: A Report to the Nation, only 22% of rape victims were assaulted by someone they had never seen before or did not know well. The breakdown of non-stranger offenders in this study was: 9% by husbands or ex-husbands, 10% by boyfriends or ex-boyfriends, 11% by their fathers or stepfathers, 16% by other relatives, and 29% by other non-relatives, such as friends or neighbors. In addition, rapists include doctors, lawyers, therapists, clergy, police officers, and other authority figures. Because of their social and financial positions, these men are seldom prosecuted for their acts of violence, and their actions are seldom publicized.

Myth: Most victims sustain serious physical injuries.
Fact: Over two-thirds (70%) of rape victims reported no physical injuries, and only 4% sustained serious physical injuries, with 24% receiving minor physical injuries. However, it is important to note that many victims who did not sustain physical injuries nonetheless feared being seriously injured or killed during the rape. Almost half of all rape victims (49%) described being fearful of serious injury or death during the rape. (It is important to note here that just because a victim may not look injured physically, she is still the victim of a violent crime.)

Myth: A corollary to the above myth is that women who submit during sexual assault have not been forcibly raped.
Fact: Again, victims often submit without struggle due to fear of physical threat, or if the assailant is armed with a deadly weapon. Many times, the victim is incapable of either consenting or resisting, such as when she is unconscious, sleeping, drugged or drunk, a child, or has a physical or cognitive disability.

Myth: Rapists are sexually frustrated men, carried away with desire and passion.
Fact: Many rapes are not impulsive acts, but are planned events. In a 1971 study, Menachem Amir found that 71% of rapes are premeditated. Amir also found that 60% of offenders were married and having consensual sexual relations while assaulting other women. The myth that the rapist is carried away by uncontrollable sexual desire, and that his behavior is a natural masculine trait, serves only to excuse men who rape and place blame on the victim.

Myth: Most sexual assaults involve a black man raping a white woman.
Fact: Amir's study cited above found that in 93% of assaults, the rapist and victim were of the same race. In 3.3% of the cases, black men did rape white women, while in 3.4% white men raped black women. It is more comfortable for most white women and men to believe a potential attacker is a man of color. It is more difficult to face the reality - most attackers are of the same race and many are professionals whom the community trusts.

(c) Copyright 2014 Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Source:  Moving to End Sexual Assault
(c) Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

April is Sexual Violence Awareness Month: Statistics

 

 

How often does rape happen to women?

•  One in four college women report surviving rape (15 percent) or attempted rape (12 percent) since their fourteenth birthday.
•  In a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease control of 5,000 college students at over 100 colleges, 20% of women answered "yes" to the question "In your lifetime have you been forced to submit to sexual intercourse against your will?" Thus, one in five college women has been raped at some point in her lifetime.
•  In a typical academic year, 3% of college women report surviving rape or attempted rape. This does not include the summer, when many more rapes occur.
•  In the year 2000, 246,000 women survived rape and sexual assault. This computes to 28 women every hour.
•  A survey of high school students found that one in five had experienced forced sex (rape). Half of these girls told no one about the incident.
•  Rape is common worldwide, with relatively similar rates of incidence across countries, with 19%-28% of college women reporting rape or attempted rape in several countries. In many countries, survivors are treated far worse than in the U.S.

Are men raped?

•  3% of college men report surviving rape or attempted rape as a child or adult.
•  In a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control of 5,000 college students at over 100 colleges, 4% of men answered "yes" to the question "In your lifetime have you been forced to submit to sexual intercourse against your will?"

Who are the perpetrators?

•  99% of people who rape are men, 60% are Caucasian.
•  Between 62% (4) and 84% (1) of survivors knew their attacker.
•  8% of men admit committing acts that meet the legal definition of rape or attempted rape. Of these men who committed rape, 84% said that what they did was definitely not rape.
•  More than one in five men report "becoming so sexually aroused that they could not stop themselves from having sex, even though the woman did not consent."
•  35% of men report at least some degree of likelihood of raping if they could be assured they wouldn't be caught or punished.
•  One out of every 500 college students is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
•  First-year students in college tend to believe more rape myths than seniors.
•  Sexual assault offenders were substantially more likely than any other category of violent criminal to report experiencing physical or sexual abuse as children.
•  In one study, 98% of men who raped boys reported that they were heterosexual.

Who are the survivors?

•  41% of college women who are raped were virgins at the time.
•  42% of rape survivors told no one about the rape.
•  False reports of rape are rare, according to the FBI, occurring only 8% of the time.

Circumstances of rape

•  57% of rapes happen on dates.
•  75% of the men and 55% of the women involved in acquaintance rapes were drinking or taking drugs just before the attack.
•  About 70% of sexual assault survivors reported that they took some form of self-protective action during the crime. The most common technique was to resist by struggling or chase and try to hold the attacker. Of those survivors who took protective action, over half believed it helped the situation, about 1/5 believed that it made the situation worse or simultaneously worse and better.
•  84% of rape survivors tried unsuccessfully to reason with the man who raped her. (1)
•  55% of gang rapes on college campuses are committed by fraternities, 40% by sports teams, and 5% by others.
•  Approximately 40% of sexual assaults take place in the survivor's home. About 20% occur in the home of a friend, neighbor, or relative. 10% occur outside, away from home. About 8% take place in parking garages.
•  More than half of all rape and sexual assault incidents occurred within one mile of the survivor's home or in her home.

What happens after the rape?

•  In a study done in the 1980s, 5% of rape survivors went to the police.
•  Throughout the last 10 years, the National Crime Victimization Survey has reported that approximately 30% of rape survivors report the incident to the police
•  Of those rapes reported to the police (which is 1/3 or less to begin with), only 16% result in prison sentences. Therefore, approximately 5% of the time, a man who rapes ends up in prison, 95% of the time he does not.
•  42% of rape survivors had sex again with the rapist
•  30% of rape survivors contemplate suicide after the rape
•  82% of rape survivors say the rape permanently changed them
•  The adult pregnancy rate associated with rape is estimated to be 4.7%

(c) Copyright 2014 Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.

Source:  One In Four
(c) Robyn King. All Rights Reserved.