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Running head: Action Against Sexual Abuse 1

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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.










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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
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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

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