Sexual Assault - Is It A Victimless Crime
- Gretchen White,
- Oct 17, 2017
- 3 min read
Sexual assault is non-consensual, sexual contact with another person. This can and does include groping and unwanted sexual touching.
Sexual abuse is an form of sexual violence including:
Rape - Forced sexual contact with someone who does not or cannot consent. The victims ages range from 10-29 and their perpetrators are usually between the ages of 15-29. Nearly 60% of rapes occur on campuses either in the victims dorms or apartment.
Only 2% of rapists ever serve a single day in prison
Ninety percent of all rapes are committed against women
Child molestation - Any sexual contact with a child. Examples include fondling or demanding sexual favors. According to research conducted by CDC, "approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18." And did you know, 35.8% of these assaults occur when the victim is between the ages of 12 and 17.
Incest - Sexual contact between family members who are too closely related to marry. One-third of the survivors under the age of 18 are abused by a family members. Incest, however, is an under reported crime, so the numbers are probably higher.
1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys experience childhood sexual abuse
Other forms of sexual assault also include:
parents having sex in front of their children
parents making sexually inappropriate comments
revenge pornography sites
Sexual abuse is usually an attempt to gain power over the victims
Sexual assault may leave not only bruises on the outside, but on the inside, too. Sexual abuse by an intimate partner can have a profound effect on a woman's physical and mental well-being. The attack can also trigger clinical depression. "Women who are sexually assaulted have twice the risk of depression. Sexual assault can continue to have an impact on the victim's mental health after the abuse has ended." (2017)1
Sexual abuse and assault is a very traumatic experience
Many advocates for sexual abuse survivors believe we live in a "rape culture." Many survivors do not report their abuse because if/when they do, they often face skepticism and blame from police, friends or family members who may imply that quite possibly it was how they were dressed or behaved to invite such an attack.
There are myths about sexual assault that further isolate and stigmatize the victims. Some of these foolish myths include:
rape and sexual abuse are rare
fighting off an attacker is easy
having an organism during the attack means the victim enjoyed the attack
date rape is not a "real" problem
date rape happens because the victim lead the attacker on with a "tease" game
marital rape is not really rape
This blog post was inspired by the Harvey Weinstein stories circulating on social media. I will offer no opinion on the subject expect to say that no one, male or female, should ever have to be subjected to such behavior no matter who the perpetrator is. I have my own story of sexual assault/abuse as I am most certain many others do. What happened to each of us is our story to keep or share. If you do decide to share, remember you are not alone.
Here is how you can help if someone you know comes to you with a story of sexual assault or abuse or even if you don't no anyone. There is always someone in the room who is a victim.
Believe loved ones who tell you they were abused. There is no benefit to making a false rape allegation, and statistics consistently show that rape and other forms of sexual abuse are under reported. The rate of false reports for these crimes is also lower than that associated with other crimes.
Avoiding making jokes about rape or using rape as a metaphor for minor suffering. “That test really raped me” can be triggering to rape victims.
Being mindful of triggering language and stimuli. When you talk about sexual abuse, be aware of the fact that one or more observers may be a victim.
Offering unconditional love and support to friends or family members who have survived an attack
For more information: RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) at https://www.rainn.org/
Until next time, remember, you are not alone
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