A popular saying goes “a problem shared is half solved.” Yes!
But a heart bottled in the pain of humiliation can never know
peace. The issue of rape is that which is discussed and shared
amongst us, but yet without the simplest solution.
This is very perturbing, and thus has sounded the alarm within
us to keep on speaking till we can reduce or inhibit this violence
and ungodly act.
Let us not fold our arms and watch our ‘PRIDE’ being trampled
upon and tormented without giving it a fight.
Rape is fiercer than a civil war, yet if we must win this battle,
we must fight with our heart and not watch on.
#Bloggersville presents
“The pain of a withered rose, a
trumpet for war.”
#SayNoToRape Day VI
In a national violence against women survey
which was conducted in 1977 in the United States of America, it was found that
1 out of 6 women and 1 out of 33 men had experienced rape (either attempted or
the full) as a child and/or as an adult. Rape in this context is defined as forced intercourse (vaginal, oral or
anal).
Most people believe strangers, perverts or
“bad people” are the sole perpetrators of rape/sexual assault when indeed the
act is reported to be committed most by friends, relatives, acquaintances, the
nice neighbor who comes to watch soccer games on weekends, the maid who helps
with chores and “other things”, the teacher who gives more lessons than the
classroom legally allows. There have been reported cases of fathers detaining
daughters and turning them into sex slaves.
What is most disturbing and alarming is
that studies estimate that 50%–90% of rapes go unreported. In most cases, these
rapes go unreported because of shame, humiliation, guilt, cultural taboos,
stigmatization and the very real fear of secondary victimization by law
enforcement officials as well as medical and legal authorities.
Wife rape runs into stone walls in legal
opinion even though there are now laws against forcible and violent non-consensual
sex with one’s wife. Clinical psychologists use the term “sexual abuse
survivors syndrome” to describe the posttraumatic stress-like symptoms that
follow the aftermath of childhood sexual abuses.
There are a few listed factors that affect
the existence of rape. Baron and Straus (1989) theorize different causes,
namely;
1.
Gender Inequality: Relates
economic, political and legal status of women in comparism to men.
2.
Pornography: Reduces women to
sex objects\, promotes male dominance and encourages or condones sexual
violence against women. Pornography is reported to have high influence on rape
as sex offenders confess to watch a lot of porn.
3.
Social Disorganization: This
erodes social control and constraints freedom of individual behavior and
self-determination.
4.
Legitimization of Violence: Is
the support culture gives to violence as portrayed in the media (movies, video
games, music videos etc), laws permitting corporal punishment in schools,
violent sports and excessive military exploits amongst many others.
There are personal and psychological
factors common to perpetrators of sexual abuse/rape which affects both their
decision to assault someone and the manner in which the assault is carried out,
namely;
1.
Offender acts in hostile,
aggressive, angry, condescending and domineering manner and believes he is
strong, courageous and manly though he often feels weak, anxious, inadequate,
threatened and dependent. This implies that his decision to rape someone can be
as a result of overcompensating for areas where he is weak.
2.
Lacks interpersonal skills to
make his point in society.
3.
Needs to exercise power – uses
the assault situation to prove to himself and his victim that he’s in total
control and he’s superior.
4.
May show sadistic patterns –
often mutilates or murders victims to attain a feeling of total triumph over
the victim.
Rape/sexual assault goes beyond trying to
fulfill a sexual need or desire, some researchers interviewed rapists and
gathered that;
1.
Criminals who commit rape in
the perpetration of a crime –for example, robbery – often see rape as an added bonus.
It is there for the taking, so why not?
2.
For some men, rape is attaining
the unattainable woman, a woman who is clearly out of his league and will never
have gotten a chance with her other than through rape.
I have also outlined also most importantly
the victim’s response to rape, they are;
1.
The victim may respond by
showing no emotions – appearing unaffected.
2.
May feel humiliated, demeaned
and degraded.
3.
May experience impaired sexual
functioning.
4.
May suffer immediate physical
and psychological injury as well as long-term trauma.
5.
May blame herself or feel
guilty (as society will make her believe her indecent dressing called the
attention of the rapist or she feels guilt for not being cautious enough).
6.
Might find it difficult
relating to and trusting others – especially men.
Rape has high
potential for PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder), depression, panic attacks,
GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), social adjustment disorders, sexual
dysfunction, eating disorders, dissociation, suicide and more negative world
views and cognitive distortions such as blaming oneself, external factors and
preservating on why the rape happened.
A rape victim
however requires family support and acceptance in the early and latter stages
of dealing with the event, also needs people to reach out to her (or him as the
case may be), offering the victim attention to pour out all their pain (mostly
verbally).
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