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Sexual assault is any sexual contact or sexual attention
committed by force, threats, bribes, manipulation, pressure,
tricks, or violence. It includes rape and attempted rape,
child molestation, incest, and sexual harassment. Sexual
assault is a terrifying and often brutal crime: assailants
can be strangers, acquaintances, friends, or family members.
The devastating effects are shared by victims and those who
love them. |
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Rape is a crime of violence, anger, and power. It is not
motivated by sexual desire. |
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Rapists use sexual violence as a weapon to control,
humiliate, and hurt their victims. Anyone can become a
victim. Victims are not selected for their attractiveness or
appearance. Sexual assault of any type is never a victim’s
fault. No one ever “asks for” or deserves to be sexually
assaulted. |
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Types of Sexual Assault |
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Stranger Rape |
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The
victim and offender have no relationship and will not
recognize each other. |
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Non-Stranger Rape |
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Sexual contact occurs within a relationship and is obtained
through the use of force or coercion. The victim and
offender know each other or can recognize each other prior
to the assault. This is the most common type of sexual
assault. |
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Marital Rape |
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The
victim and assailant are spouses. This type of rape often
occurs within a domestic violence situation. |
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Multiple Rape |
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There are multiple assailants with whom the victim may or
may not be acquainted with. |
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Sexual Assault Facts |
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Rape
is the most underreported crime in the United States |
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One
out of every eight women are victims of rape. |
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76%
of sexual assault victims knew the perpetrator of the
assault. |
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83%
of sexual assault victims are under the age of 25. |
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While there has been a national decrease in the number of
violent crimes, 10% in the last decade, since 1996, there
has been an increase between 13% to 23% every year of sexual
assault victimization. |
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90%
of sexual assault perpetrators did not possess a weapon at
the time of the assault. However, most victims of sexual
assault fear for their lives, fear threats of bodily harm,
or fear threats of harm to friends or family. |
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Evidence collection is geared towards substantiating a
forced sexual act, and not the identification of the
perpetrator because most victims of sexual assault know the
perpetrator. |
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The
average number of rape victims per rapist is seven. Sexual
assault perpetrator apprehension is a public safety concern.
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Victim Issues |
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Victims of sexual assault may
experience shock, numbness, disorientation, difficulty
concentrating, withdrawal, denial, nightmares, flashbacks,
rage, anger, revenge, depression, difficulty eating, or
sleeping, extreme and unexplainable fears, guilt, and
self-blame. |
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There is no typical sexual
assault nor is there a typical pattern of responses to rape.
However, counselors report that a victim may experience a
number of different responses to rape. |
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Fear
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Victims of rape feel fear because of the threats made by the
rapist and fear of what may happen if they don’t do as the
rapist says. The rapist often threatens to harm or kill
victims if they report the crime, telling them he will “find
them somewhere or somehow.” |
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Victims may also fear society’s reaction if they tell
anyone. People who have been raped are afraid the blame will
be placed on them rather than on the rapist. |
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Fear
of other men may occur because of what the rapist has done.
It is easy to generalize all men in the same category. |
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Most
victims of rape fear not being believed, especially if they
victim knew the rapist or if the rapist was well known in
the community. |
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Guilt – |
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Many
times victims will internalize the mythology that the rape
was somehow their fault. “I should have been wearing
something else.” “I should have locked the door.” “It must
have been something I did.” It is important to remember that
the rape is a crime committed against a victim and that the
rapist is responsible for the assault. |
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Many
times victims will feel guilty that they didn’t attempt to
fight the rapist or they didn’t fight hard enough. It is
important to remember that staying alive is the most
important thing and that fighting the attacker may cause
more harm or even death to the victim. |
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Some
victims may feel that because they knew the rapist they
should have known he wasn’t as he appeared. There is no way
of knowing who is a rapist and who is not. Victims may have
been with their assailant before and were never raped – how
would they know that this time would be different? |
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Many
victims have the idea that they would be able to resist or
could take care of themselves if a rape were attempted.
After the rape, self-doubt and guilt run rampant. |
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Embarrassment – |
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Many
victims are embarrassed to talk about the physical details
of the assault. They have been brought up to believe that
their bodies and sexual activities are private and to be
discussed. |
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Talking or telling anyone about the rape may be embarrassing
and painful. |
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Many
victims isolate themselves from family and friends because
they are embarrassed to have friends and family find out
about the assault. |
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The
victims may also fear being blamed by friends and family for
the assault. |
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The
medical exam may also be embarrassing. A victim’s body is
again exposed to others, which may be an emotionally painful
experience. |
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Anxiety – |
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Many
victims feel extreme anxiety and often react by shaking.
When they remember the incident, physical reactions such as
shortness of breath, panic, shaking in fear, etc., are
common. Nightmares occur frequently as well. It is important
for them to realize they are safe and the physical reactions
are occurring as a result of feelings about rape. |
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Questioning Why it Happened to Them |
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Many
victims of rape wonder why the rapist chose them or what it
was that separated them from others. Rapists decide to rape,
and they plan the rape. But they may not decide who the
victim will be until the time of the attack. The decision
may be based on who happens to be available, not because of
who she is, what she does, or how she dresses. |
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Anger – |
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It
is important to know that for many victims there is anger
about the events following the rape, just as there is anger
about the rape itself. Victims experience anger at having to
change their lifestyles, and they feel anger because of the
feelings of powerlessness. Anger can be a very appropriate
reaction for victims of assault, because anger directed at
the perpetrator can be the start of working through the
assault. Counseling, reporting, and prosecuting may be ways
to vent those feelings. |
