Sexual assault : victimization across the life span (original) (raw)
Related papers
Sexual Assault is an Abuse of Rights and Power
Sexual assault is any sexual or sexualized act that makes the attacked person feel uncomfortable, threatened or afraid. It is behavior that the attacked person did not cause or choose. Sexual assault is a betrayal of trust and a denial of the right that every person has to say what will be done with his or her body. Sexual assault is an abuse of rights and power. Sexual assault can be committed against adults and children, women and men, and people of any background.
New Directions for Mental Health Services, 2000
Molestation and rape in childhood or adulthood is sexual violence. This chapter discusses issues for sexual violence victims and suggests several best practices for this population.
The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, 2017
Sexual violence is defined as any unwanted sexual activity. Acts of sexual violence include, but are not limited to: rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, rape within marriage or other relationships, forced marriage, so-called honor-based violence, female genital mutilation, trafficking, sexual exploitation, and ritual abuse. Sexual violence can be perpetrated by a stranger, but is most often perpetrated by someone known and even trusted, such as a friend, colleague, family member, partner, or ex-partner (Rape Crisis n.d). Rape has a worldwide prevalence rate of 21-25 percent in industrialized nations, increasing to 43-90 percent in nonindustrialized ones. Anyone can be raped but, globally, women and girls are raped disproportionately more frequently. There are no known risk factors for rape except the perpetrator being male (Koss, Heise, and Russo, 2006). Rape creates an enormous global health burden on societies in its aftermath in terms of the psychological, sociocultural, somatic, and reproductive health consequences. Legal definitions of rape vary country by country but most include the penetration by a penis of the vagina, anus, or mouth of another person although many scholars constantly seek to widen these definitions to account for the chronic underreporting of rape frequently observed in many societies. Most laws also define rape in relation to consent and a belief in consent whereby a person consents to sex if she or he agrees by choice, and has the The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory. Edited by Bryan S. Turner.
Sexual Assault: Examination of the Victim
Medicine, 2001
Rape and sexual assault are common, but most offences remain unreported. These crimes are associated with acute and chronic physical and psychological morbidity and may be linked to substance misuse, health care neglect, 'risky' sexual behaviour and eating disorders. Early interventions may reduce serious psychological morbidity in some individuals. Most research focuses on the impact of sexual violence on women, but the principles of management apply to both male and female victims. Rape may be defined as non-consenting sexual relations with another person obtained through physical force, threat or intimidation. In England and Wales, the Sexual Offences Act (2003), which was implemented in May 2004, defines rape as intentional penetration by the penis of the vagina, anus or mouth. Other offences include assault by penetration, sexual assault and causing sexual activity without consent. Additional measures are in place to protect the vulnerable, particularly children and those with learning disabilities, and the management of sex offenders. • Rape is intentional penetration by the penis of the vagina, anus or mouth. • Assault by penetration is intentional penetration of the vagina or the anus by part of the body or any other object. • Sexual assault is intentional sexual touching. • Causing sexual activity without consent is intentionally engaging another in sexual activity. • Consent is agreement by choice, and with the freedom and capacity to make that choice.
Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, 1999
Sexual assault is a crime of violence, often motivated by aggression and rage, with the assailant using sexual contact as a weapon for power and control. Sexual assault can include a range of coercive behaviors ranging from kissing, fondling, and molestation, to rape or attempted rape. For the purposes of this review, sexual assault is defined as "an event that occurred without the victim's consent, involved the use of force, or the threat of the use of force, and involved actual or attempted penetration of the victim's vagina, mouth, or rectum."l8 According to recent statistics, one out of eight women will be raped during her lifetime, and 39% will be sexually assaulted more than once.I8 Many rapes are unreported, either because of feelings of shame and guilt, or because the victim does not define the event as rape (e.g., spousal and date rape). Well-known sequelae of rape, whether reported or not, include isolation, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, suicide attempts, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The experience of rape has a strong effect on the subsequent health of victim/survivors and has thus become a major public health issue. Sexual assault victims often present to the emergency department (ED) for initial evaluation, evidence collection, treatment, and crisis intervention. Although some cities have model sexual assault centers or use specially trained sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE), the emergency physician (EP) is responsible for the initial evaluation and management in most EDs. It is, therefore, imperative that the El' be familiar with complex array of reactions (emotional and physical), common injuries, and elements of proper evaluation and treatment of sexual assault victims.