The Victims of Sexual Assault - Case Study Example

 Introduction: Sexual assault is identified and categorized as a violent crime which results in immensely deadly impact on the victim. The above mentioned lines mirror the sentiments, trials and tribulations undergone by the victims of sexual assault, which is perhaps one of the most persistent forms of crime in the history of civilization. It has been amply established through research that sexual assault is one of the most widely prevalent yet unreported crimes in the United States (Karjane, Fisher, and Cullen, 2002) as well as elsewhere. It is on account of the gravity of the crime and the serious implications of its aftermath, on the psyche of the victims that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified it as a pervasive public health issue (CDC, 2012a). Statistics suggest that 1 in 5 women and 1 and 71 men have admitted to have experienced completed rape or attempted rape in their lifetime (CDC, 2012b). The increased incidences of sexual abuse in the country over the past couple of decades, particularly in the military (Chicago Tribune, 2012) and on college campuses, has garnered significant attention towards the gravity of the issue and the consequences of the same on the victims. Various researchers have contributed immensely towards the topic through extensive studies and widened the understanding of the problem, through bringing significant changes in the fundamental definition of the issue itself. Some such definitions put forward by various institutions, authors and researchers are discussed in the following section. Meaning and Definitions: The Bureau of Justice Statistics defines an assault as "An unlawful physical attack or threat of attack. Assaults may be classified as aggravated or simple. Rape, attempted rape, and sexual assaults are excluded from this category, as well as robbery and attempted robbery. The severity of assaults ranges from minor threats to nearly fatal incidents." (BJS, 2012) It is also defined as "any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the consent of the recipient of the unwanted sexual activity" (Carroll, 2009: 480) Sexual assault not only results in direct physical harm or injury to the victim but also leads to long lasting emotional scars which delay and at times prevent the process of speedy recovery, and drastically increases the odds of sexually transmitted diseases, stress, anxiety, depression drug and alcohol abuse, and other mental and physical repercussions. Such negative repercussions include a range of personality disorders which the victims are likely to experience due to fear of negative social reactions and lack of confidence in seeking justice due to the various myths associated with such types of crimes (Bryant-Davis, 2011; Paludi and Denmark, 2010). Impact and implications: The negative repercussions of sexual assault extend far deeper than the apparent physical harm caused to the victims. It is known to cause increased personal and interpersonal impacts on the victims. Research suggests that sexual assault entails both tangible as well as intangible effects on the victims which includes increased cost of medical care; loss of employment and hence economic productivity; correctional services; psychological damage and suffering; and an increased fear of victimization (Paludi and Denmark, 2010; Fisher and Lab, 2010). One of the most significant repercussions of sexual assault is the fear of negative societal reactions towards the victims (Post et al., 2002). It has been observed that societal reactions and reactions from close family and friends of the victims can greatly influence the impact of the assault, i.e. it can either mitigate or magnify the psychological damage caused (Paludi, 2010). Studies have documented that victims are often faced with negative social reactions such as blaming the victims or preventing them from talking about it and attempting to distract them often results in increased anxiety and psychological distress among them (Ullman & Fillipas, 2001; Courtney, 2006). Although various legal reforms and policies have been introduced over the years including introduction of educational measures and awareness programs to broaden the understanding of the subject and dispel the myths related to the crime, there is still a huge gap between the available information and the methods to effectively treat the victims (Sable et al., 2006). Context and Prevention of Sexual Assault There is significant research aimed at addressing the manner in which sexual assault can be prevented and reduced and most of such research is focused on assessing the range of prevention programs. This is highly relevant and inevitable to dispel the myths associated with sexual assault. Most of the sexual assault prevention programs are spearheaded by women, since they are the most victimized lot. The prevention programs hence include raising awareness, pressing for policy change, educating their peers regarding various ways of self-protection, and promoting help lines for victims (Nicoletti et al., 2009). Recovery and coping: The incidence of sexual assault is one of the greatest social evils which has long-term impact on the physical and psychological health of the victims (Castello, Coomer, Stillwell, & Cate, 2006; Jimenez & Abreu, 2003; Lonsway & Fitzgerald, 1994; McMullin & White, 2006). The victims of sexual assault often experience heightened incidences of emotional trauma post the event (Castello et al., 2006; Kaltman, Krupnick, Stockton, Hooper, & Green, 2005;White Kress,Trippany, & Nolan, 2003; Littleton & Radecki Breitkopf, 2006). The female and child victims are the most disadvantaged of the lot since they are more likely than men to experience sexual assault in their lifetime and are highly vulnerable to such crimes. Research has established that despite their high vulnerability they rarely seek professional assistance (McGregor, 2005). However there have been significant transformations in the field of criminal justice policies with the introduction of novel approaches and legal reforms to help reduce the mental and emotional stress undergone by the victims. Various efforts are made to provide maximum possible assistance to the victims by removing system barriers and helping and encouraging them to report such crimes (Sable et al., 2006). Also various efforts are made by government as well as non-government organizations to increase awareness of the issue and helping the vulnerable groups to identify the behavior of the perpetrators as a means of self-protection. Also it has been observed through research that although majority of the victims of sexual assault is women; such assaults have grown to be gender neutral. Hence appropriate laws have been introduced in the country to eliminate gender bias in treatment and care (Sable et al., 2006). It has been also confirmed by researchers that the intensity of psychological and emotional trauma experienced by the victims are directly related to the manner in which they are treated by the society (Lee et al., 2005). It is on account of such factors that surviving and coping with such assaults is often described as a traumatic and taxing exercise by the victims who are more often than not likely to lack adequate access to legal, medical, or mental health support services. Conclusion: Sexual assault is a challenge to the society and we, as individuals are not immune to it. Hence it is imperative for those at the helm of affairs to not only be aware of the problem and the various myths associated with it, but take active measures to dispel such myths through pro-active policies. There is a dire need to implement and adopt a systematic approach to enhance the public perception of the problem and alter their attitudes towards it, in order to offer hope and relief to the victims. Although total eradication of the problem is highly unlikely, the incidences and repeat offences can be reduced drastically through educational and awareness programs. Works Cited Bryant-Davis, T., (2011). Surviving sexual violence: A guide to recovery and empowerment. Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., 72-75 Carroll, J. L., (2009). Sexuality now: Embracing diversity. Belmont, CA: Cengage Publishing. Castello, J., Coomer, C., Stillwell, J., & Cate, K.L. (2006). The attribution of responsibility in acquaintance rape involving ecstasy. North American Journal of Psychology, 8, 411-420. Courtney, A., (2006). Being silenced: The impact of negative social reactions on the disclosure of rape. American Journal of Community Psychology, Vol. 38 (3-4): 263-274 Fisher, B. S., Lab, S. P., (2010). Encyclopedia of victimology and crime prevention, vol. 1. California: SAGE Publication, 346-348 Jimenez, J., & Abreu, J. (2003). Brief report race and sex effects on attitudinal perceptions of acquaintance rape. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 5, 252-256. Karjane, H. M., Fisher, B. S., Cullen, F. T., (2002). Campus sexual assault: How America's institutions of higher education respond. Washington, D. C. Department of Justice. Lee, J., Pomeroy, E.C, & Rheinboldt, K.T. (2005). Attitudes towards rape: A comparison between Asian and Caucasian college students. Violence against Women, 11, 177-196. Lonsway, K.A. & Fitzgerald, L.F. (1994). Rape myths in review. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18, 133-164. McGregor, J. (2005). Is it rape? On acquaintance rape and taking women’s consent seriously. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing. McMullin, D., & White, J.W. (2006). Long-term effects of labeling a rape experience. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 96-105. Nicoletti, J., Spencer-Thomas, S., Bollinger, C., (2009). Violence goes to college: The authoritative guide to prevention and intervention. Illinois: Charles. C. Thomas Publisher Ltd., 148-150 Paludi, M. A., Denmark, F. L., (2010). Victims of sexual assault and abuse: Resources and responses for individuals and families vol. 1. California: Greenwood Publishing, pp. 162-164 Paludi, M. A., (2010). Feminism and women's rights worldwide. California: ABC CLIO Publishing. 47-48 Post, L. A., Mezey, N. J., Maxwell, C., Wilbert, W. N., (2002). The rape tax: Tangible and intangible costs of sexual violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 17 (7): 773-782 Sable, M. R., Danis, F., Mauzy, D. L., Gallagher, S. K., (2006). Barriers to reporting sexual assault for women and men: Perspectives of college students. Journal of American Collge Health. Vol. 55 (3): 157-162 Ullman, S. E., Filipas, H. H., (2001). Predictors of PTSD symptom severity and social reactions in sexual assault victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 14(2): 369-389 BJS (2012). Terms and definitions [Online] Available at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=31#summary [Accessed: November 14, 2012] CDC (2012a). Sexual violence [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/index.html [Accessed: November 14, 2012] CDC (2012b). CDC Features [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/SexualViolence/ [Accessed: November 14, 2012] Chicago Tribune (2012). Slight rise in U.S. military sex asault cases [Online] Available at: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-13/news/sns-rt-us-usa-defense-assaultbre83c1k3-20120413_1_unrestricted-reports-sexual-assault-assault-cases [Accessed: November 14, 2012] Read More