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Queen Angu
Dr. Cuddy
Eng 102
09 April 2017
Sexual assault can occur in many different forms and happens more often than it is
reported, but the one thing that stays constant is that it is never the victims fault. The U.S.
Department of Justice defines sexual assault as, any type of sexual contact or behavior that
occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient Some of these behaviors include sexual
activities such as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling,
and attempted rape (U.S. Department of Justice). Any unwanted behavior towards another
human being can be detrimental, but aggressors have a hard time understanding the severity of
such heinous behaviors and the impacts that they have on their victims. These terrible acts have
been so normalized, so much that some perpetrators have trouble realizing that their behavior is
assault. Sexual violence against women, particularly on college campuses, has been an ongoing
problem that has very negative effects and can impact how these women live the rest of their
lives. Females ages 18 to 24 have the highest rape and sexual assault victimizations compared
to females in all other age groups within the 18 to 24 age group, victims could be identified as
students enrolled in college, university, trade school, or vocational school (Sinozich, BJS Intern
& Langton, Ph.D., BJS Statistician). A good public service announcement campaign would
certainly help this issue if targeted towards young adults, since sexual attacks are most prevalent
amongst college-aged groups. The impacts of sexual assault can affect a womans physical,
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psychological, and social conditions. Helping to prevent sexual assault is an important issue
because it has been downplayed due to the vast majority of media shifting its focus on the
political issues of the world. Gaining back the relevance and spreading consciousness of sexual
assault will certainly make a difference to potential victims and their families.
Sexual assault is a crime that violates and imposes harm on the victims body, and the
bodys response to the assault can happen in many different forms. Sometimes, there is no
physical evidence of injuries, but that does not mean that sexual assault didnt take place.
Physical effects to trauma can happen immediately after the experience or can occur later on.
The immediate physical effects a person can experience after a sexual assault or rape can
include: bruising, bleeding (vaginal or anal), difficulty walking, soreness, and broken or
dislocated bones (Joyful Heart Foundation). Victims of sexual assault go through immense
physical pain after their attack. It is bad enough that the immediate pain that is inflicted upon
victims can change their lives negatively. However, there are prolonged physical effects that can
make it worse for the victim through time. About 68% of women among 357 women living
with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. reported a history of sexual assault (N. Sarkar & Rina Sarkar). The
national rape-related pregnancy rate is 5.0% per rape among victims aged 12 to 45 among
34 cases of rape-related pregnancy, the majority occurred among adolescents (M.M. Holmes).
Its sickening to cope with the fact that your unborn child is a result of rape, especially since the
pregnancy was not planned. All of these physical effects of sexual assault directly cause issues to
a womans life, and the fact that most victims have to cope with these changes during their
As previously stated, sexual assault has many physical impacts, but sometimes the mental
effects can hurt way more than any physical pain. This traumatic event drastically changes the
lives of women, and often results in them having changes in their mental health. Many women
experience this trauma as a fundamental betrayal of their sense of self, identity, judgement, and
safety (Janoff-Bulman, 1992). Their minds are filled with negative thoughts and memories that
link back to the attack. 60% of female victims of sexual assault reported some feelings of
mental pollution subsequent to the assault... Deliberate recall of the assault resulted in a
strange feeling of distress and the urge to wash (Fairbrother & Rachman, 2004). These women
are in a state of distress when they flashback to these negative experiences. Their minds are
tainted with the gruesome memories of their assault and it makes them feel vulnerable to the
experience all over again. Often times, women get the sudden obsession to clean themselves
because they feel dirty or impure due to the fact that they were violated. Between 31% and 65%
of rape survivors develop PTSD, and 38% to 43% meet diagnostic criteria for major depression
(Kilpatrick & Acierno, 2003). Women develop serious mental disorders after experiencing
sexual assault. Many of these disorders make it harder for them to experience life in a normal
way. Sexual assault affects a womans ability to have a clear mind and healthy mental health.
Unlike the physical and mental impacts of sexual assault, which directly affects the
victims self, the social impacts can affect their lifestyle and others around them. Sexual assault
on women, unlike any other offence, leaves a deep-rooted effect or stigma in the body and mind
of a woman who has to live the rest of her life in society with the unpleasant shadow of this
incident (N. Sarkar & Rina Sarkar). Sexual assault can affect the lifestyle of women in many
ways such as relationships with their family, friends, significant others, and children. It can even
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affect their jobs, income, and religious beliefs. Having gone through that painful experience can
shape the way these victims see other people they may come across in life. They might be
hesitant to start new relationships with others, and intimacy can be difficult after suffering such
an attack. Frequency of sexual contact decreased after sexual assault. Satisfaction and pleasure
in sexual activities seemed to diminish (N. Sarkar & Rina Sarkar). Sexual contact becomes
disturbing to these individuals because they were violated in that manner, and it may cause them
to have flashbacks of the attack. These victims view the world as a more frightening and
threatening place to live after they have been assaulted. Referring back to the affects it has on
their social life, jobs, and finances, some victims may stop their normal participation in their
groups/organizations or stop going to work out of fear. Sexual assault can change the way
Sexual assault occurs in many different forms and happens very often, but it is never the
victims fault. It should be easily perceived that any unwanted behavior towards another human
being can be malign, but some people have a hard time understanding the severity of such
heinous behaviors and the devastating impacts that they have on their victims. Sexual violence
against women, particularly on college campuses, is a relevant topic. Given that there are so
many cases of sexual assault that happen at college campuses, it is important that communities
work together to seize this issue. This topic may hit home to society if put into perspective by a
good public service announcement campaign that spreads the awareness on sexual assault and
informs the public on impacts it has on women. This can surely make a huge difference to the
lives of current sexual assault victims, and help prevent making women new victims to sexual
Bibliography
Sexual Assault." GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog. N.p., 24 Apr. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.
"Effects of Sexual Assault and Rape." Joyful Heart Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.
<http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/learn/sexual-assault-rape/effects-sexual-assault-and-rape
>.
Sarkar, N. N., and Rina Sarkar. "Sexual Assault on Women: It's Impact on Her Life and Living
in Society." Sexual and Relationship Therapy 20.4 (2005): n. pag. EBSCOhost. Web. 3
Apr. 2017.
Sinozich, BJS Intern, Sofi, and Lynn Langton, Ph.D., BJS Statistician. "Rape and Sexual