Term Paper: Sexual Assault prepared by Besmart S Eslava

INTRODUCTION

During the past decades, researchers have documented the prevalent problem of

sexual assault in American society. Approximately, one in four (¼) women are

raped in their adult lifetime, which causes severe psychological distress and long-

term physical health problems. The impact of sexual assault extends far beyond

rape survivors as their family, friends, and significant others are also negatively

affected. Moreover, those who help rape victims, such as rape victim advocates,

therapists, as well as sexual assault researchers, can experience vicarious trauma.

Future research and advocacy should focus on improving the community response

to rape and the prevention of sexual assault.

Defined by Peter Cameron George Jelinek, Anne-Maree Kelly, Anthony F. T. Brown,

Mark Little (2011), Sexual assault is an act in which a person intentionally sexually

touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically

forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will.

It is a form of sexual violence which includes rape (forced vaginal, anal or oral

penetration or drug facilitated sexual assault), groping, sexual harassment, child

sexual abuse or the torture of the person in a sexual manner (Office on Women's

Health. Department of Health & Human Services 2018).

In connection with the above mentioned issue, this term paper focuses on the

referred related literature of sexual assault, its prevalence and consequence.

 Term Paper: Sexual Assault prepared by Besmart S Eslava

RELETED LITERATURE

Numerous literatures or refereed articles have explored and described the

prevalence of sexual assault that produces negative physical and emotional effect on

the victims. Emotional consequence such as denial, helplessness, anger, self-blame,

anxiety, shame, fear, depression, flashbacks, guilt, rationalization, mood swings,

numbness, promiscuity, loneliness, social anxiety, difficulty trusting oneself or

others, difficulty concentrating Price, M., Davidson, T. M., Ruggiero, K. J., Acierno,

R., & Resnick, H. S. (2014) Ullman, S. E., & Relyea, M. (2016).

The U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey states that on

average there are 237,868 victims (age 12 or older) of sexual assault and rape each

year. According to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), every 107

seconds someone in America is sexually assaulted.

Statistically, age 12 -34 are the highest risk years. Girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more

likely to be a victim than the general population. By gender, women are more likely

to become victim of sexual assault with 88% compare to men with 11%. Sexual

assault is usually committed against women but it is also committed against men and

even among LGBT community (Meyer, I. H., & Dean, L.). LGBT identifying

individuals, with the exception of lesbian women, are more likely to experience

sexual assault on school campuses than heterosexual individuals (Fedina, L.,

Holmes, J. L., & Backes, B. L. 2016).

Sexual assault is more likely to happens in colleges/ campuses. In fact, due to the

high prevalence of so called campus sexual assault, some victim, who experience
 Term Paper: Sexual Assault prepared by Besmart S Eslava

distress, are motivated to create documentation entitled “The Haunting Ground”

presenting multiple students who allegedly sexually assaulted on college campuses

or University in the United States and that presenting the failure of college

administrations to deal with it adequately (Setoodeh, Ramin May 1, 2015).

the documentation included the allege prevalence of sexual assaults in specific

school or universities that: there are 135 reported sexual assaults in Harvard

University but there are only 10 reported suspensions from the year 2009 to 2013. 78

reported sexual assault in the University of California Berkely but there are only 3

reported expulsion from year 2002 to 2013; 155 reported sexual assaults in

Dartmouth College but only 3 reported expulsions from 2002 to 2013. Stanford

University has 259 reported sexual assaults but 1 reported expulsion from year 1996

to 2013. North Carolina University has 136 reported sexual assaults but 0 reported

expulsion from year 2001to 2013 and Virginia (2009-2013) has reported 205 sexual

assaults but 0 reported expulsion.

Research conducted by Grace, Lloyd & Smitt (1992), Kelly, Lorett & Regan (2005),

Hienan & Murray (2006) Lonsway& Archambault (2009) and Spohn, White & Tellis

(2014) revealed that the percentage of sexual assaults in Universities in US are 8%

3% 2% 7% and 5% respectively. However, such studies are strongly criticized by

several universities in US (Michelle J.A. 2016).

Freyd, DePrince, & Gleaves (2007) has documented the profound negative impact of

betrayal within experiences of interpersonal trauma such as sexual assault In the

current study of college women a researcher examined whether institutional failure

 Term Paper: Sexual Assault prepared by Besmart S Eslava

to prevent sexual assault or respond supportively when it occurs may similarly

exacerbate posttraumatic symptomatology—what we call “institutional betrayal.”

Almost half of the women reported at least one coercive sexual experience and

another 21% reported no coercion, but at least one unwanted sexual experience.

Institutional betrayal (e.g., creating an environment where these experiences

seemed more likely, making it difficult to report these experiences) was reported

across different unwanted sexual experiences (47% and 45% of women reporting

coercion and no coercion, respectively). Those women who reported institutional

betrayal surrounding their unwanted sexual experience reported increased levels of

anxiety (Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J. J. 2013).

Men are also victimized by sexual assault. Assaulted men reported greater

symptomatology than assaulted women, whereas nonassaulted men reported less

symptomatology than nonassaulted women. Elliott, D. M., Mok, D. S., & Briere, J.

(2004). An article reveal that male clients’ uptake of specialized sexual assault

services is significant and it is, therefore, important to provide access to a

comprehensive range of psychological, medical, and forensic treatment options and

referrals to other community services for ongoing support (Mont, J. D., Macdonald,

S., White, M., & Turner, L. 2013).

When it comes to LGBT, Gay men and bisexual men and women were more likely to

report sexual victimization than lesbians. Sexual victimization was associated with

greater psychological distress, with sexually revictimized individuals reporting the

highest levels of psychological symptomatology A researcher examined the

 Term Paper: Sexual Assault prepared by Besmart S Eslava

patterns of sexual assault and its psychological correlates among gay men, lesbians,

and bisexual men and women (GLB). A community sample of 342 GLB individuals

completed questionnaires assessing victimization history and psychological

functioning. Nearly 63% of participants reported some form of sexual assault, and

nearly 40% reported sexual revictimization(Meyer, I. H., & Dean, L. (2010).

Sexual assault increases the risk for psychopathology. Despite the availability of

effective interventions, relatively few victims who need treatment receive care in the

months following an assault (Price, M., Davidson, T. M., Ruggiero, K. J., Acierno, R., &

Resnick, H. S. (2014). According to Rape, Abue and Incest National Network

(RAINN), the victim of sexual assault is 3 times more likely to suffer from depression,

6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, 13 times more

likely to abuse alcohol, 26 times more likely to abuse drugs and lastly, 4 times more

likely to contemplate suicide. The professional treatment significantly helps the

victim of sexual abuse to recover from the unfortunate experience. But the ability of

every victim (regardless of age) to recover from the traumatic effect of the sexual

assault is not general-accordingly, it depends on the capacity of a victim

(Steenkamp, M. M., Dickstein, B. D., Salters-Pedneault, K., Hofmann, S. G., & Litz, B.

T. 2012).
 Term Paper: Sexual Assault prepared by Besmart S Eslava

Conclussion:

Sexual assault remains a persistent problem throughout the world. Although women

experience sexual assault more often, men and LGBT also victimized of this assault.

Sexual assault is highly injurious victimizations, and accurate information about them

is difficult to obtain because they are seriously underreported to law enforcement.

However, it can be conclude that the prevalence of sexual assault especially among

women aging 12 to 34 is alarming which must be given attention by the authorities.

Recommendation:

Create better interventions or policies that represent basic legal compliance and

that rely solely on formal reports made by targets. Sexual assault needs to be

addressed as a significant culture and climate issue that requires institutional

leaders to engage with and listen to the voice of victim and at risk.