Research Paper on Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse

Introduction

No breathing was the key to saving some time. The silence was my best friend until I broke loose and saw for my own eyes, I was running out of time and quiet wasn't my best friend anymore. I am a victim of sexual assault and sexual abuse I survived it with the help of myself, who pushed myself into loving life and not ending it. Sexual Assault is a violent, unexpected, traumatic and sometimes life-threatening event or series of events. Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual act or behavior which is threatening, violent, forced or coercive and to which a person has not given consent or was not able to provide permission (Reynolds). Not approving is the final words, man or women should respect their commands in which they should back away and leave, instead several people force themselves against their will. This paper will look at the possible ways which rape victims can encourage other people to come forward to get help and the myths as well associated with rape as per research.

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Sexual abuse is the act of having sexual intercourse with a person without their consent. The prevalence of child sexual abuse is difficult to determine because it is often not reported; experts agree that the incidence is far greater than what is said to authorities (Finkelhor). Men and women manipulate children who go through sexual abuse. Adults convince children not to speak out to the public, or they will face trouble with them. A child is sexually abused when they are forced or persuaded to take part in sexual activities. This doesn't have to be physical contact, and it can happen online. Sometimes the child won't understand what's happening to them is abuse. They may not even realize what they're doing is wrong, at young age children may not even know what's right or wrong (NSPCC). Having a child browse the Internet at a young age is very dangerous. Social media is a way a predator can reach out to their target, and it can lead to severe consequences.

No underage child should access social media due to many consequences. Social media like Facebook are the highest rank on the market. Facebook, you post your pictures, feelings, and thoughts and you can also post where you currently live. For children who have social media should have it deleted immediately. Facebook should modify when a minor is trying to create a Facebook under age 18. Children easily lie about their age and click 18 years old and pass with it. Facebook should identify a picture of a child when it's created and have their page deleted before any severe consequences happen. Stalking is a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. Similar to crimes of sexual violence, stalking is about power and control (Department of Justice). Sexual assault and sexual abuse are different from social media, and both have their meaning.

Sexual abuse has their differences and agreements between rape and sexual assault. Sexual harassment can include many different things, from sexually touching a victim to forcing a victim to touch the perpetrator in a sexual way to make a victim look at sexual body parts or watch sexual activity. Sexual abuse of a child is a criminal act (NSPCC).In 2002, there were 247,730 victims of rape, (Department of Justice). Rape is forced sexual intercourse, including both psychological coercion and physical force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offenders (Bahadur). Rape isn't someone you know, and it's a high chance of being a stranger and seeing you walk the alley at night. Rape is different from sexual assault. Sexual assault includes a wide range of victimizations, distinct from rape or attempted rape. These crimes include completed or attempted attacks generally involving unwanted sexual contact between the victim and offender. Sexual assaults may or may not require force and include such things as grabbing or fondling. Sexual assault also includes verbal threats. (Bahadur). Rape, sexual abuse, and sexual assault have one thing in common in each, which is not giving consent. Also, all three incidences are common to happen at work, universities, public areas, daycares, and family wise.

Universities are primary targets for sexual predators to approach their victim. 62% of students and graduates have experienced sexual violence as per the definition used by Rape Crisis, Groping, harassment, unwanted touching, coercion, sexual assault, rape - all commonplace, it turns out, in UK universities. Shockingly, 8% of female respondents said they had been raped at university double the 4% of all women in England (Reynolds). Universities are fun and make you have experience on your living in a dorm with the roommates and staying up till dawn. However, with one wrong turn could lead to the case of Vanderbilt University four former football players charged in the rape of an unconscious 21-year-old female student on June 23, 2013(Reynolds). This is common it happens nearly about each year when someone has been sexually raped on campus the percentage rises.

Attending a university has its goods and fails, due to many students partying on campus or not going to their own dorm and pass curfew. Previous research suggests that college women are at higher risk for rape and other forms of sexual violence than women in the general population or a comparable age group (Reynolds). You are at a higher risk in attending a university to get sexually assaulted, but if you are not attending a university, it is a lower chance of being sexually assaulted. Being sexually assaulted on campus could change the way you think about visiting any university ever again. It traumatizes a person, and it turns a person there more aware of who they should trust and if they should leave the house. It also brings depression into a person and may last forever.

Being sexually abused leaves scars behind for the rest of your life. When you been through a traumatic event sexual abuse -sexual assault or rape it leads to PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) causing you to have a mental disorder that some people develop after being sexually assaulted or coming back from the war. The prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in assault survivors is drastically higher than the national incidence of the disorder, which is a strong indication that the current therapies for sexual-assault-related PTSD are in need of improvement (NSPCC). People who already have the mental disorder PTSD have a better chance in life in those who have been sexually assaulted in which therapist aren't much of a help with sexually assaulted patients. Depression takes over a person it changes them around people, and the environment depression doesn't only occur in adults it happens in children when faced a traumatic event.

Men are just as equal as women being sexually assaulted. Men had accounted for somewhere between 5 and 14 percent of rape and sexual violence victims (Rosin). Prison is where rape profoundly occurs in men, in some cases being raped at a jail is a punishment for stealing or disobeying someone. Many people see men as the predator, here is an example, feminism occurs in a daily bases, "No a women will never rape a guy, she is a woman and women aren't capable of doing such a thing."Most of these survivors are women, but it's important to remember that male sexual assault happens and is rarely talked about.

In the eyes of the law, only a man can commit rape, as penetration with the penis has to occur, but men can still be raped and sexually assaulted (Bahadur). Women are much capable of doing such a thing in raping someone, they are smart and may get away with it since they are women and people will only see women as the victim.

We should help men and women overcome the fear of being alone after going through a traumatic event. Volunteering helps distract the mind it helps you build your confidence in yourself and others. Every sexually assaulted victim should volunteer for 100 days with those 100 days it won't help the scars go away and the pain, but you will have a reason to get out of bed. My experience with volunteering was a joy, I volunteered at the animal's shelter many times helping animals and playing with them, and it made me happier.

Therapy is a solution in talking to someone on what you been through and feeling at the moment. Many people don't see therapy as a solution they see it as someone who is just listening to them and will not tell them what to do or how to overcome it. The therapist listens to you and hears every word you say and goes through it with you. People aren't comfortable telling their parents about what happened that Friday night being sexually abused they feel as if they're guilty and dirty. A therapist will never judge you on what you say or who you are their job is to help you overcome the situation. Survivors also report that they tend to avoid reminders of the sexual assault, including avoiding places that may resemble the area where they were assaulted; may feel less interested in things that they used to enjoy (Murphy). Not getting the help you need may lead to serious consequences involving death or depression.

I almost ended my life after being sexually assaulted and raped. I asked myself is my life important now and I felt guilty then even if I could've prevented this by doing something. Most people who are sexually assaulted feel a degree of guilt. People can always think of something they should have done to stop the attack. "If only I had screamed." If only I had locked the door." If only I was not drunk." The list of "if only" is endless (Reynolds). Family and friends, who ask questions such as "Why didn't you scream" often reinforce the legal system and this feeling? Asking "why" in such circumstances can often imply guilt. It is therefore not surprising that so many people feel guilty and blame themselves for not avoiding the attack. Guilt, as well as shame, also springs from many of the myths that place responsibility on the person for the attack. Myths such as "If you wear tight clothes you are asking for it" only serve to reinforce the unfair and incorrect belief that people who are assaulted are responsible for the assailant's behavior and that they were the cause of the sexual assault.

Wearing clothes isn't your fault you wear clothes to not be sexually targeted. People shouldn't be judged on, doesn't matter what they are wearing. Some people show off their stylish garments because it's who they are and some may show off some portion of their skin, but it doesn't mean they had it coming for being sexually assaulted. Women don't cause rape by what they wear, asking about the correlation between clothing and rape is tricky, though. To make clear, sexual assault is never the victim's fault. Someone has to act to commit crime. No one forces that choice. If seeing an enticing woman led men to conclude, they have to rape her, all men would be rapists, and plenty of assaulted women are not dressed sexily. In the society today many people would like to see women half naked, but when a woman becomes sexually abused men usually say "she had it coming" after commenting what women should wear and dress more "sexy."

Conclusion

It is essential to first have rape victims who have been raped before having the courage to talk of their predicaments and this way the other rape victims can be able to tell their story. The first step to healing is talking about the problem and getting help. Secondly, the victim can be able to attend a counselor who will help them overcome the PTSD enabling them to forgive their assaulter and also to be ready to start the healing process. Volunteering helps distract the mind it helps you build your con...