Effects of Sexual Offenses on Society - Term Paper Example

? Effects of Sexual Offenses on Society Effects of Sexual Offenses on Society There is no definite definition of sexual offense/ abuse/assault. Nevertheless, according to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, sexual abuse include the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.y). It also refers to the rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.y). However, there have been numerous challenges in establishing the accurate statistics on the prevalence of child and adolescent sexual abuse due to lack of a universal definition of sexual abuse and the low reporting rates on sexual assaults in the society (American Psychological Association, 2013). Most assuredly, mental health, scholars, and child protection professionals agree that sexual offenses are societal problems in US and across the globe (American Psychological Association, 2013). Sexual abuse is a violation of the societal taboos and statutes and hence faces societal condemnation where the society stigmatizes sexual offenses. Although, there are challenges in defining and establishing the causes of sexual abuse, we can establish that sexual offenses derive adverse effects on the victims, their immediate families, and the society (Morrison et al, 2013). Notably, sexual offenses define a violent act, which takes away a victim’s right to their own body (University of Toronto, 2013). Various findings from the studies on the topic of sexual assault confirm that the most dominant effect of sexual offenses is the potential to disrupt human lives in the society (Jordan Institute for Families, 2000). Specifically, sexual offenses jeopardize women’s capacity to contribute in societal responsibilities and derive substantial health problems on the society (The Advocates for Human Rights, 2010). There is wide range, detrimental, and exclusive effects of sexual assault on the victims, their families, and on the society (Morrison et al, 2013). Such effects are significant in the society and include physical, psychological, and reproductive health problems (The Advocates for Human Rights, 2010). Sexual offense can have detrimental physical injury trauma-related psychological disorders that can affect the victim for a long time. Such trauma-related psychological disorders relate to traumatic sexualization, which may include aversive feelings about sex, overvaluing sex, and sexual identity problems as well as painful memories (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.y). Additionally, such effects may include hypersexual behaviors and avoidance of or negative sexual encounters. Specifically, psychological and emotional effects of sexual assault include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) like intense fear of death, anxiety, and stress (RAINN, 2009). The victims have a high probability of developing feelings of low self-esteem, guilt, denial and self-blame, and confusion (Morrison et al, 2013). Furthermore, sexual offenses can be fatal in that they foster attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, and develop fears of killings by family members to protect the family's dignity (Morrison et al, 2013). Indeed, sexual assault may have severe social effects on women where they experience "social death" due to the feelings of isolations that they derive from the offense (The Advocates for Human Rights, 2010). The Department of Veterans Affairs establish that sexual offenses lead to military sexual trauma which is a psychological trauma that military service members experience as a result of sexual assault against women in the military (RAINN, 2009). Moreover, the society stigmatizes sexual abuse, which leads to self-destructive behaviors like substance abuse, risk-taking acts, self-mutilation, suicidal gestures, and acts, and provocative behavior designed to elicit punishment (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.y). Where the victim is a child, sexual offenses can have devastating and long-term effects since the offenders are usually people that children should be able to trust and depend on and the victim may not realize that the abuse is wrong and not their fault (Jordan Institute for Families, 2000). Indeed, the child or any adult victim is likely to have nightmares, sleeping problems, eating problems where victims use food and the control of food to deal with the feelings of the assault. They also develop a sense of betrayal after a sexual assault (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.y). In this context, a child victim will experience a sense of disbelief or dismissal of their claims since adults will fail to acknowledge the occurrence of that abuse. A sexual offense leads to borderline personality disorder (RAINN, 2009) and affects the victim’s mood of doing their daily activities due to the negative feelings and sense of isolation. This leads to low motivation, which subsequently propagates poor performance in all the activities that the victim undertakes. On the other hand, a sexual assault victim develops feelings of embarrassment, inadequacy, guilt, shame, powerlessness, and hopelessness (Jordan Institute for Families, 2000). The feeling of powerlessness leads to the perception of victimization and vulnerability, which derives avoidant responses like isolation, anxiety, phobias, and disintegration (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.y). Sexual assault leads to failed relationships as well as angry and weird behaviors. This is because victims develop a sense of distrust, low self-esteem, depression, sexual maladjustment, and stigma (Jordan Institute for Families, 2000). Victims find it hard to establish and maintain close relationships. Where the victim is a student, sexual offenses lead to high school dropout cases, poor academic performance, and dissociation with fellow students. Additionally, the physical effects of sexual offenses include damaged vagina, urethra, or anus, chronic diseases, headaches, gynecological symptoms, irritable bowel syndrome (Morrison et al, 2013), and painful sexually transmitted infections (RAINN, 2009). It may also lead to deliberate self-injury and unwanted pregnancies as well as worries related to pregnancies from the assault (RAINN, 2009). Ideally, a sexual assault affects the relationships and social life of the victim, their partner, their friends, their families, and the society. This is because it affects the social life, leisure activities, work, academics, and community participation of the victim (Morrison et al, 2013). Indeed, in some cases, victims are prone to harmful and negative responses from their immediate society thus jeopardizing their way of living (Morrison et al, 2013). Moreover, a sexual offense may lead to financial losses where the society encounters financial losses from the victim’s low performance or absentia from work or community service. Additionally, the victim accrues losses of earnings, medical expenses, counseling expenses and other non-monetary losses (Morrison et al, 2013). This derives social and economic costs. The victims suffer shame because of the assault and police and social workers may invade the privacy of such families. Moreover, the assault challenges the societal norms and expectations about the responsibility of women in the society (Jordan Institute for Families, 2000). They must also help the victims to overcome the emotional turmoil and learn how to cope with their behaviors and feelings (Jordan Institute for Families, 2000). At the same time, family members who are sexual offenders face the challenge of living double lives where they pretend to be good family members and equally suffer the conscience of a sex offender (Jordan Institute for Families, 2000). A sexual offense also forces the victims and the society to address the society myths about sexual assault (University of Toronto, 2013). In conclusion, I can establish that sexual offenses are forms of societal problems that derive significant effects on the society. Indeed, sexual offences can lead to adverse psychological, mental, physical and health effects. Notably, sexual offenses affect the victims, their partners, their families, and the society. The victims may be children, adults, or even members of the military where different people accrue variant effects from a sexual assault. References American Psychological Association. (2013). Understanding child sexual abuse. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/pubs/info/brochures/sex-abuse.aspx Child Welfare Information Gateway. (n.y). Definitions, Scope, and Effects of Child Sexual Abuse. Retrieved from: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/sexabuse/sexabuseb.cfm Jordan Institute for Families. (2000).The Effects of Sexual Abuse. Retrieved from: http://www.practicenotes.org/vol5_no2/effects_of_sexual_abuse.htm Morrison, Z., Quadara, A., & Boyd, C. (2013). "Ripple effects" of sexual assault. Retrieved from: http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/issue/i7.html RAINN. (2009). Effects of Sexual Assault. Retrieved from: http://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault The Advocates for Human Rights. (2010). Consequences of Sexual Assault. Retrieved from: http://www.stopvaw.org/consequences_of_sexual_assault University of Toronto.(2013). Effects of Sexual Assault. Retrieved from: http://www.askfirst.utoronto.ca/effectssa.htm Read More