Rape Trauma Syndrome Essays - Rape, Behavior, Violence, Aggression

Rape Trauma Syndrome Dictionaries most commonly define rape as a sexual act committed by force especially on a woman. (The American Heritage College Dictionary. 1997 pg. 740) Until a few years ago it was limited to penial penetration of the vagina. Penal Code 261 defines rape as "an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a person not the spouse of the perpetrator without the lawful consent."(Roberson, 1998, p. 188) Penal Code 263 goes on to say that "the fundamental wrong at which the law of rape is aimed is . . . the violation of a woman's will and sexuality." (Roberson, 1998, p. 190) All other sexual assaults are classified under varied names, yet the aftermath is usually the same. Rape is one of the cruelest forms of criminal violence. The victim suffers a profound injury. Rendered powerless by physical force, threats, or fear, after which being forced to submit to sexual acts, including vaginal penetration, oral copulation, sodomy, and penetration opening with a foreign object, the victim is left virtually alone. Rape is an intrusion into the most private and intimate parts of the body, as well as an assault on the core of the self. Despite whether the victim suffers any physical trauma, the psychological impact of a sexual assault is severe. Moreover, the painful, post-trauma symptoms that result from rape are long-lasting. Even those victims who appear to have recovered months or years later often find that an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and vulnerability remains close to the surface and can easily, and unexpectedly, be reexperienced. A critical factor in the long-term impact of rape is that the assault radically changes the victim's view of the world. Basic beliefs about the environment, other people, and the self are shattered. These are devastating losses. Thus, many survivors report that the rapist irrevocably alters their lives. The rapist takes away something that the victims can never wholly regain. We can examine the impact of rape in various ways. One perspective takes into consideration the underlying meaning the assault has for the victim. The grave threats and profound losses the victim suffers change their life dramatically, sometimes forever. Another manifestation of the impact of rape is the anguish of the victims. The psychological and behavioral symptoms of distress are poignant symbols of the destructiveness of the rapist's acts. Yet another way to understand the impact of rape is to compare it with other forms of trauma. Rape is an extreme form of human cruelty that in some ways resembles other overwhelming traumatic events. Rape trauma syndrome is the acute phase and long-term reorganization process that occur because of forcible rape or attempted forcible rape. (Bergess & Holmstrom, 1974) Researchers have identified stages that the victim goes through while suffering the effects of victimization. (Abarbanel & Richman, 1990) The initial impact of rape is a feeling of numbness, the victim is in a state of shock and disbelief and may still feel terrorized. (B&H, 1974) The victim's appearance can be misleading, appearing jolted or astonished, sedate and stifled. (A&R, 1990) The controlled behavior masks the serious psychological wound that they have endured.(A&R, 1990) Expressions of disbelief are most likely a reflection of the hidden inner chaos. (A&R, 1990) Usually following the initial stage of numbness follows the stage of denial. Victims have already experienced the worse of lost control. Therefore, any thoughts of this experience may risk another loss of control. Denial can vary from a direct denial; refusing to talk about it but recognizing that there was an incident, to not even recognizing that she knows anything has happened. Women will sometimes express this stage through their behavior, bathing or douching more than usual hoping to wash the rape away. (A&R, 1990) The DSM-IV places in its diagnostic criteria many reactions in this stage such as conversation and thought avoidance. The dangerous side to this stage is avoiding reporting the incident to the police, or not seeking medical treatment. (A&R, 1990) Sometimes serious infections will grow because of this, and the perpetrator is allowed to continue living his "normal" life when the victim cannot. After sometime, most victims enter the next stage of acute stress; acute means it usually lasts less than three months. (A&R, 1990) (DSM-IV) This is a major stage containing most of the diagnostic criteria according to the DSM-IV; including sleeping disorders, anxiety, and mostly a large preoccupation with the event. Fear is also a major feeling during this stage, victims can become hypersensitive to their surroundings and may begin to repeat safety rituals, such as checking door locks, and window