Consequences of Rape
In recent decades, rape has come out of the closet and is now openly discussed and recognized as a serious social problem. However, there is still a stigma of shame and blame attached to a victim of rape causing many children and women to remain silent and suffer the consequences of emotional trauma alone. A generation ago there were no such things as rape hot lines, rape awareness groups, or rape survivor therapy. There has been much progress made towards educating the public concerning the effects of rape, as well as recognition that rape is not a sexual act but a criminal act of violence.
By law, rape is "the crime of sexual intercourse without the consent of the victim, often through force or threat of violence"(Rape pg). Statutory rape is the rape of a victim who is "deemed legally incapable of consenting if she or he is known to be mentally incompetent, intoxicated, drugged or below the age of consent at the time of the rape" (Rape pg).
Although, traditionally rape is a term applied to male sexual force upon a female, revisions have been made in many jurisdictions to include the possibility of a male victim. For years, issues concerning rape and the law have been debated in the United States. However, efforts by feminist groups have been successful in expanding victim's rights, such as the removal of statutes that required rape victims to physically resist attackers (Rape pg). In the past, rape victims were required to show signs of injury in order to prove they had not consented to sexual relations. Another reform has been making marital rape a crime in many circumstances. In 1975, South Dakota was the first state to enact such law reforms. Since the 1980's, date rape, the rape by an acquaintance, has become a very important issue, especially on college campuses, although, guilt is difficult to establish (Rape pg). Rape is a world wide problem and leaves profound psychological effects upon the victims.
Incest, coerced pregnancy, mass rape, ethnic cleansing, forced prostitution, date rape, marital rape, rape in prison, rape as revenge, political rape, gang rape, rape in conflict situations, and rape as a weapon of war" - are not about sex but rather power and violence through the use of sex (Addressing 1-2). One out of every five women is a survivor of rape. Moreover, she usually knows her attacker. Forty to sixty per cent of known rapes are committed against females fifteen years of age and younger (Addressing 1-2). This reality affects women and girls during their entire life span. It is referred to as gender violence, and can occur when they are infants, girls, adolescents, women, and elderly women. Whether a woman has ever been raped or not, she lives in constant fear of it everyday, every time she is alone in her home or crossing a public parking lot, she is always aware that she is a potential victim of rape.
Many feel rape it is time for rape to be addressed as a health issue. A recent study showed that medical care costs of raped or assaulted women were 2.5 times higher compared to costs of non-victims. Rape victims suffer from a number of physical conditions such as "pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, partial or permanent disability, even delayed physical effects such as arthritis, hypertension and heart disease, unwanted pregnancy, and STDs" (Addressing 1-2). Aside from the physical symptoms, victims suffer a wide range of emotional and psychological disorders.
These mental and physical conditions that a rape victim experiences is called rape trauma syndrome. This phase can occur during the rape, immediately afterwards, and may continue for over a considerable time (Rape Trauma pg).
Rape survivors describe a wide rage of emotions such as guilt, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, self-blame, and helplessness. They suffer from severe mood swings and fatigue, and generally feel disoriented and have difficulty concentrating. Sleep disturbances such as nightmares are common, along with tension and appetite changes (Rape Trauma pg). Survivors may have irrational fears, such as phobias, and a general fear of violence, physical injury and death. They experience depression, often crying uncontrollably. Many rape victims experience anger and a deep seeded wish for revenge. Many suffer shock and disbelief, and may lapse into a state of denial, incapable of coping with the reality of what has happened to them (Rape Trauma pg). They also may regress to prior disorders, whether drug and alcohol addiction or other mental illnesses. A common reaction is a sudden change in the victim's sexual relations or behavior. They often become more sexually active, engaging in injurious sexual conduct such as unprotected sex with multiple partners and prostitution, or becoming fearful or disgusted by any sexual encounter and distrust of men (Rape Trauma pg).
Recent statistics show that fifty-four percent of female rape victims were first raped before the age of eighteen. Twenty-two percent were first raped before the age of twelve, and thirty-two percent between the ages of twelve and seventeen. Moreover, childhood victimization places the victim at a higher risk for later victimization (Tjaden pg). Eighteen percent of female rape victims who were raped before the age of eighteen were raped again in adulthood, however, only nine percent of "adult female rape victims, without childhood rape experiences, were raped more than once" (Tjaden pg).
Although rape is rape regardless of the circumstances, there are four classifications,...
They proceeded to rape her as she was passed out. To make matters worse, they photographed the sexual assault and posted it on Facebook. Eight days after this incident occurred, she committed suicide saying, "The whole school knows. My life is ruined." (Walsh) What made the situation so troubling; is these videos went viral and everyone around her high school wanted to see them. While the movie was not released
No man has a right to sexually assault a woman based on her behavior and mode of dressing. Rapists select their victims based on vulnerability and accessibility of the victim. Studies show that rapists do not select victims based on their appearance, and attractiveness of the victim is never an issue to the rapist. Opportunity is the factor that determines when rapist will sexually assault the victim. Even when
. . cognitions," further research is needed to find out how an individual may utilize various parts of cognitive therapy in order to reach the goal of openness and flexibility (Sobel, 2009, 1). The paper will conclude with a suggestion that a valuable follow-up research project might be done, comparing repressed feelings which may lead to possible massive anger problems preceding self-destructive and negative behaviors. References Foa, Edna B. And Rothbaum,
Rape Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust WWII Iris Chang. The Rape of Nanking The Rape of Nanking, according to Chinese-American author Iris Chang, is one of the forgotten atrocities committed during World War II. Chang was the child of parents who had survived the Cultural Revolution in China before immigrating to America and the siege of the Japanese Army during the 1930s was an important part of their cultural history (Chang 7-8).
Gang Rape on Facebook Gang rape is considered a particularly horrific crime, not because of how society views rape, which is not always in a negative light, but because it deglamorizes rape and strips away any pretense that the behavior was consensual, romantic, or simply the result of someone who let himself get out of control. That the rape in this scenario involved an 11-year-old girl seems almost impossible to explain.
Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 Supreme Court has held that deliberate indifference to the substantial risk of sexual assault violates inmates' rights under the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. In response, the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 is designed to systematically study the incidence of offender-on-offender and staff-on-offender assault in correctional facilities throughout the United States and to propose standards for preventing
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now