In case you did not know, a person in the US is either raped or sexually assaulted every couple of minutes. Although the vast majority of victims are women, men can also fall prey. Although we have seen a drop of incidence by over 66% in the last 20 years, rape and sexual assault are still common occurrences, with one in every six women and one in every 33 men being victimized at least once in their lives.
Most victims are white but women of different ethnicity or skin color have a higher chance of being a victim of rape or attempted rape. It is known that the rate of rape for black women is 18.8%, 34.1% for Native American or natives of Alaska, and 24.4% for mixed race. For context, 17.7 million of women in the US and 2.78 million of men became victims of rape or sexual assault.
Education, not only for you but also for those around you, will help reduce the risk of being a victim. Note that 73% of rape and sexual assault cases were committed by people who knew the victim. These are friends, acquaintances, teachers, or even relatives. Half of rape cases and sexual assaults take place in the victim's house or within one mile from her house. To break this down, 40% happen in the home, 20% happens in a friend's home, and 12% happen in the garage or a parking area.
You also need to know that 67% of these crimes usually happens between 6PM to 6AM. If you know where rape occurs and at what time, or who the offender is, you can reduce the risk of becoming a victim.
Rape and Sexual Assault InformationA sexual assault is an array of behaviors but it does not include penetration. These are actions that are completed to fruition or merely attempted. A sexual assault is valid if the victim did not provide consent, perhaps because of the victim's age, disability, or state of mind like if the victim is intoxicated.
Common examples of sexual assault are voyeurism, touching a victim's genitals or breasts, self-exposure, or unwanted exposure to lewd or pornographic material. It also includes exposure of a photograph of a victim without his or her consent, especially photographs taken without the victim's consent. It also may or may not involve physical force or the use of weapons. It is possible to commit sexual assault without coercion or intimidation.
Sexual harassment, though connected to sexual assault, leans towards behaviors that are mostly verbal. This includes jokes, verbal or written remarks, or gestures. It commonly occurs in the workplace in which colleagues express undesired sexual advances towards the victim.
Each state defines rape differently. However, the standard definition is that it is a non-consensual penetration—either oral, vaginal, or anal—of the victim's body by the offender's body parts. The victim does not have to be conscious during the act as he or she can be under the influence of substances or is incapacitated. It does not also require that the rapist uses violent or physical force. In most states, both rape and sexual assault are both considered felonies.
The most common picture we form in our minds of rapists is the kind that lurks in the bushes and pounces on his victim. Most rape cases are not committed by strangers but by people who the victim is familiar with. Stranger rapists typically pretend to be someone else to gain the victim's trust. They can pose as a police officer, as someone on the road who needs help.
In some cases, friends and other former romantic partners will make unwanted sexual advances because of previous intimate moments they had with the victim. But each sexual act must happen with the consent of both parties. In this case, the most common tactic is to intrude into the victim's physical space through accidental touches. The victim may feel uneasy about it but the perpetrator will not think of it that way. And the reason the offender feels that way is because he justified his actions with the past intimate relationship he had with the victim. The offender will not stop even if the victim told him so.
In universities and colleges, alcohol consumption plays a crucial role in rape and sexual assault cases. The attacker is usually someone that the victim already knows. The attacker will casually ask the victim to drink more and will later on take advantage of the victim while she is intoxicated. It is not unusual for this to happen between people on a date.
Criminals will often look for places where their victims are likely to hang out such as bars. Some of them will use drugs to incapacitate the victim like Ketamine and Rohypnol. Sometimes they use a substance called Liquid Ecstasy. It is a drug that relaxes the victim's inhibitions and can cause a victim to pass out. Ketamine, also known as Special K, is a drug that makes a victim feel detached from reality. Rohypnol, on the other hand, causes the victim to have deteriorated motor skills. And with less motor coordination, the perpetrator can easily commit his intent.
Technology can help rapists perpetuate their crimes. They can break into a car, steal the GPs, and use it to find the victim's home. They can also go through social media and stalk the victim. They just need to see the status check-ins of their potential victim and they will easily find out if she is on a bar or going to a friend.
The victim is never at fault in rape and sexual assault cases. Always remember that despite people saying that you must have caused a rapist's motivations. A rape victim can never be accused of doing anything that makes her deserve rape or sexual assault as a punishment. Despite saying this, a person can do many things to prevent becoming a victim.
One should always practice safe drinking when in social events. To do this, one must never leave her drink unattended. Doing so gives a rapist the opportunity to drop drugs in your glass. You should also ask the bartender to open the beer in front of you and never accept drinks that were not opened before your eyes. Do not drink anything that came from open containers like punch bowls. If you are going to attend parties where alcohol is served, come with friends that you trust and make sure you watch each other. It also makes sense not to leave with someone you just met at the party, even if this person is an acquaintance.
If you will go on a date, it is best to plan your activities and set boundaries. Make sure you have a plan on how you will bail out if the situation gets bad. You may want to involve a friend who you could call or someone who will call you from time to time. You can also prepare excuses you can use later to get out of a situation. Examples of these excuses are: you need to feed your dog, you need to pick up your brother or friend, or your parent is ill and you need to get home.
You can also be up front with your date about your sexual expectations and how far you will go. This is something you can talk about before you have a drink or before you get intimate with each other. If, for any reason, your date makes you uncomfortable, you must leave. Always trust your gut feeling and never feel guilty about what your date might feel.
Always be alert and know your surroundings. If you have a car, park in well-lit places. Make sure you do not carry a lot of bags or heavy times as these will only burden you. When approaching your car, make sure your keys are ready and in your hands.
Walk straight and do not use headphones when walking on the sidewalk, especially so if you are walking on dark alleys or isolated places such as parks. Avoid situations where you are left alone with strangers and never get inside a stranger's car.
As far as your children are concerned, discuss what sexual assault means and tell them which parts of the body are alright to be touched. If your children are teenagers, you must explain to them how rapists gain a victim's trust.
Victims of rape and sexual assault need to know that the first thing they should do after the incident is to look for a safe place away from the perpetrator. Then they should call 911 or a friend or family member who can help them. If possible, write down the details of the crime, such as the place and time. One must also try to remember what caused the attack and other circumstances around the incident.
Do not take a bath or wash even if you feel the compulsion to do so. Do not urinate, shower, or douche. This is imperative because doctors need to take a swab of samples as evidence of the assault. If you think you were drugged, you must also tell the police and the attending physician so the appropriate toxicology test can be administered.
Be honest with the investigator even if the whole experience is seemingly embarrassing. You need to tell them the complete details of the crime to help them bring justice swiftly. Should you change your mind, you can withdraw your complaint later.
The best place to go is a rape crisis center or a hospital. Even if you are apprehensive to report the rape to the police, you must still go to the hospital for appropriate treatment. You will never know if you have internal injuries and it is best to leave this to the doctors. Later on, get yourself tested for STD.
You may also need to speak to a counselor since rape is a very traumatizing ordeal. It can lead to depression and can lead to further emotional and mental health issues. Talking to a professional will help you heal faster.
The first thing you need to understand as a victim of rape is that it is not your fault. Rape is a physically, mentally, and emotionally damaging experience and most victims blame themselves. The victims will feel a cocktail of emotions like fear, anger, self-loathing, confusion, and degradation. They will often withdraw themselves from the public due to shame. They are also likely to experience severe depression, insomnia, or paranoia and this can lead to the development of eating disorders, sleeping disorders, anxiety, and irrational behavior.
Many rape victims tend to lean towards substance abuse. They can also burst in fits of anger. They can feel helpless and will constantly cry. In some cases where the trauma has reached an acute stage, the victim can feel numb all over. She might vomit, feel nauseous, and have convulsions or tremors. People may not see this if the victim is trying hard to maintain a positive outward appearance. Many victims pretend that everything around them, and inside them, is fine.
Counseling is the best recourse for victims. Online reading materials can also be a good start to heal.