Action against Sexual Abuse: A Review of the Literature
Jacqueline Mejia University of Texas at El Paso
Action Against Sexual Abuse 2 Abstract Sexual assault is an issue that happens every day known to our culture as vicious crime. Sexual assault does not just happen here in the United States by it is an international problem. The people who are victimized by the assailant are affected emotionally, physically and mentally. These victims are not merely females, this act has no boundaries for gender, ethnicity or even age. There has been attempts for sexual assault to be stopped, but as much as the government and society tries, there is no sign the attempts have been successful. As an audience you will be able to view information in regards to sexual assault along with how to help or approach the victim. Even though some victims are not able to recuperate from the assault, there are some ways to ease the pain.
Action Against Sexual Abuse 3
Action against Sexual Assault: A Review of the Literature All around the world sexual assault is an issue that affects many, not only the victim but the people who interact with the person. Sexual assault is a crime in which one person forces another person to have unwanted sexual acts forcibly. When the perpetrator attacks, most of the time the victim struggles daily to overcome the assault, they often suffer from PTSD. The victim often has to suffer daily trying to overcome the tragic event, they often feel as if it was their fault in order to try to make sense of what happened to them. While trying to understand the event as they replay the events, they are harmed physically, mentally and emotionally which often leads to an unhealthy life style which may include seclusion from society. Sexual assault is an issue that happens very often, yet, society is still scared and uneducated on the topic to talk about it and try to solve it. In order for this problem to be solved society needs to be educated on how to approach the victim and the law has to also take responsibility. Also, more help groups should be implemented, maybe anonymous since victims are often afraid of being judged. In order to better understand sexual assault the victim should take into consideration these four essential questions: 1. What is sexual assault? 2. Which group of people is more prone to being sexually assaulted? 3. What are the effects on the victims? 4. Is there anything society of the government can do to terminate sexual assaults? Action Against Sexual Abuse 4 The following review of literature will answer what is sexual assault, who is most likely targeted, what are the effects of sexual assault, and is there anything society or the government can do in order to prevent or even terminate sexual assault. What is sexual assault? Sexual assault is an illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent (as because of age or physical or mental incapacity) or who places the assailant (as a doctor) in a position of trust or authority (Merriam-Webster, 2014). According to Sarah Lawrence College, sexual assault comes in different ways, such as sexual batter, sodomy, oral copulation, rape by a foreign object, and rape. Sexual abuse happens everywhere and anywhere, it does not matter if you are a male or female, a toddler or a middle aged person, African American or Caucasian. According to an unscientific survey and Figure 1, a vast majority of the people who took the survey answered that they knew what sexual assault was. This survey was taken by a small population which means that the survey does not generalize that everyone knows what sexual assault is. Even if around 92% of people who took the survey know what sexual assault is, it seems as the issue cannot be solved as it continues. 12 1 Figure 1. Do you know what sexual assault is? YES NO Action Against Sexual Abuse 5 Which group of people is more prone to being sexually assaulted? Sexual assault can happen to anyone, although most of the time it happens to females. Victims are not necessarily in third world countries, victims can be a friend or a relative. According to an article by The New York Times, Nearly one in five women surveyed said they had been raped or had experienced an attempted rape at some point. The people who took the survey, according to Figure 2, stated that they knew someone who had been sexually assaulted, this just shows how often and how many people are linked to someone who has been assaulted. There are no limitations on how old a victim can be, that is the reason why there are pedophiles under the umbrella or rapists. According to the survey, he people answered that they believed that the majority of people who are sexually assaulted are people in their teens, which is between 13years-19 years. There are different situations where the elderly who cannot fend for herself/himself is abused. Usually the group who is most likely to be in danger is the ones more in need, the elderly, the young, and the poor. What is a more tragic data is the amount of sexual Figure 2. 7 6 Figure 3. Do you know of someone who has been sexually assaulted? YES NO Action Against Sexual Abuse 6 assaults that happen around the community. According to Figure 3, more than half of the people who took the survey knew someone who had been sexually assaulted. Again, the amount of people who took the survey is very little, and another negative factor about the data is that the victim they know can be the same. That would not equal to seven victims, but six, there is no way to exactly know how many victims there are out of the seven people who said yes. What are the effects on the victims? Rape does not end once the perpetrator is done with the sexual assault, every day the victim has to live with those scars. The scars include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance abuse, sleep disorders, self-harm, eating disorders, Stockholm syndrome and sometimes even suicide (RAINN, 2009). In some cases the victim can get sexually transmitted infections such as herpes, gonorrhea or even HIV, females as a result of rape can also become impregnated that is why seeking medical attention as soon as possible is fundamental for the authorities to capture the perpetrator. Also, about 85 to 90 percent of sexual assaults reported by college women are perpetrated by someone known to the victim; about half occur on a date (National Institute of Justice, 2008), which means that the victim is more likely to have trust issues with everyone they believe they know. Victims are likely to feel guilty for the assault, especially if no weapon was used. Sexual assault is describe by the victim not being able to say yes, so in a case where the victim is intoxicated and has a sexual relationship, the other person who is in their right state of mind can be accused of sexual assault. Victims who were assaulted while being intoxicated are less likely to report the assault. Action Against Sexual Abuse 7 Half of all student victims do not define the incident as rape. This is especially true when no weapon was used, there is no obvious physical injury, and alcohol was involved factors commonly associated with campus acquaintance rape. This is one reason rape and other sexual assaults on campus are not well reported (National Institute of Justice, 2008). Just because a person was willingly intoxicate, does not mean that person was not raped. According to the survey, Figure 4 shows that people are well aware that sexual assault leads directly to other traumas. Out of the 13 people who took the survey 100% answered that in fact, sexual assault does bring other problems, especially mentally. The best way to help the victim according to Victims of Crime (2012) is to remember it was not your friends fault, encourage the victim to seek medical attention, listen to them patiently and without judgment and offer them your support. Is there anything society of the government can do to terminate sexual assaults? Sexual assaults are a big issue especially in universities and colleges. The Office on Women's Health (OWH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working together in order for new laws to be passed to protect college students. There is an act named Clery Act that was passed which forced colleges and Universities to give their statistics 13 Figure 4. Do you believe sexual assault leads to other types of traumas? YES NO Action Against Sexual Abuse 8 on the violence that happens in their campus yearly. This act helps incoming students know their environment and helps them be better aware of their surroundings. According to Womens Health (2013), there are two main acts that help violence against women which are the Violence Against Women Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. Although these acts main focus is for family violence and the protection of the female, it does cover family violence which also touches on marital sexual abuse. Figure 5 from the survey shows how uneducated people are on the subject. Out of the 13 persons who took the survey, only two answered that they knew what the government was doing to prevent this issue. Sexual assault is and under addressed and underfunded issue that needs to be addressed since it is happening very often and it does not seem to be getting any better. Since the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, there has not been another act passed, even if the numbers of assaults keep increasing. According to the United States Department of Justice (2014), President Obama issued presidential proclamation for national sexual assault awareness and prevention month, but what good is it to have a month dedicated to this issue when no action is been taken. 2 11 FIGURE 5. Do you know what the government is doing to prevent sexual assault? YES NO Action Against Sexual Abuse 9 Sexual assault is an issue that happens every day, everywhere, yet, not a lot of people know much about the subject. Victims not only suffer from the act that was forced upon them, but also the traces the traumatic experience left them, such as PTSD and depression. Help needs to get to the victim as soon as possible, the government or society cannot take back what happened to them, but both can help by understanding the issue. Taking action against sexual assault can start by the government implementing stronger laws that not only protect females from abuse, but anyone who is sexually assaulted or simply by society becoming better educated on the issue.
Action Against Sexual Abuse 10 References Bulletins for Teens: Sexual Assault. (n.d.). Sexual Assault. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crime- victims/bulletins-for-teens/sexual-assault Definition of Sexual Assault. (n.d.). Sarah Lawrence College. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.slc.edu/offices-services/security/assault/Definition_of_Sexual_Assault.html Effects of Sexual Assault | RAINN | Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. (n.d.). Effects of Sexual Assault | RAINN | Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault Laws on violence against women. (2013, September 24). womenshealth.gov. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http://www.womenshealth.gov/violence-against-women/laws-on-violence- against-women/index.html Laws to Make Campuses Safer. (2008, October 1). National Institute of Justice. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/rape-sexual- violence/campus/Pages/laws.aspx Most Victims Know Their Attacker. (2008, October 1). National Institute of Justice. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/rape-sexual- violence/campus/Pages/know-attacker.aspx Rabin, R. (2011, December 14). Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S. Survey Say They Have Been Sexually Assaulted. The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/health/nearly-1-in-5-women-in-us-survey-report- sexual-assault.html?_r=0 Sexual Assault. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/sexual%20assault Action Against Sexual Abuse 11 USDOJ: Office on Violence Against Women: Crimes of Focus: Sexual Assault. (2014, April 1). USDOJ: Office on Violence Against Women: Crimes of Focus: Sexual Assault. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/sexassault.htm